US Warns of Ongoing Threat from Iran and Proxies Against Israel

The United States believes that the threat of a new attack on Israel by Iran or its proxies remains significant, the Pentagon stated following a recent barrage of rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah over the weekend.

Iran and its regional allies have issued threats to strike Israel in retaliation for recent high-profile assassinations in Tehran and Beirut. Hezbollah has claimed that its latest attacks on Israel were a direct response to one of these killings.

Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told reporters, “We continue to assess that there is a threat of attack, and we remain well-prepared to support Israel’s defense and protect our forces if they come under attack.”

On Sunday, Israel’s military reported conducting airstrikes on Hezbollah targets deemed to be an imminent threat. Around 100 fighter jets were involved, hitting over 270 targets, most of which were short-range rockets aimed at northern Israel.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah claimed that Israel’s strikes occurred just 30 minutes before Hezbollah fired more than 300 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli military sites. Drones then targeted a base near Tel Aviv, in retaliation for the assassination of senior commander Fouad Shukur in July.

Ryder clarified that the U.S. was not involved in the preemptive strikes or in intercepting the projectiles, but did provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support to track the incoming attacks from Hezbollah.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed that two carrier strike groups remain in the region to support Israel. The Pentagon had announced last week that the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers had arrived in the area. While it was initially set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, both carriers will now stay in the Middle East for the time being under Austin’s orders.

Meanwhile, General Charles “CQ” Brown, the top U.S. military officer, met with Israeli security officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on Monday. Gallant highlighted that “Iran’s aggression has reached an all-time high,” and emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to develop and project advanced capabilities across all arenas.

Brown’s visit to Israel is part of a broader tour of the Middle East, which has also included stops in Jordan and Egypt.