US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Friday that the United States is “closely following” plans for a possible attack by Iran and its allies against Israel, and assured that Washington is prepared to defend itself against any possible offensive.
“Today I called Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss the growing risk of escalation of violence by Iran, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East. I confirmed that the United States is closely monitoring the attack plans of Iran and its allies and is well positioned across the region to defend Israel and protect American personnel and facilities,” Austin said in a post on X.
Gallant, for his part, praised the talks with the US government as “a powerful reflection of US solidarity with Israel at this time” and thanked the US for its actions in favour of Israel, arguing that “actions speak for themselves.”
“From the unprecedented deployment of American capabilities and forces in the region, to the approval of force build-up projects and the supply of critical ammunition to Israel, we stand firm together, and our enemies have to think twice before making any move,” the Israeli minister wrote on the same platform.
During the call, the two ministers also discussed progress toward achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the release of the hostages held by Hamas since October 7, including eight Americans. The achievement of such an agreement, Gallant added, “is an urgent moral imperative.”
This conversation comes after the Israeli government on Friday asked its international partners, including the United States, to join Israel’s offensive response if Iran follows through on its threat and attacks Israeli targets, a message that Foreign Minister Israel Katz personally conveyed to his counterparts in France and the United Kingdom.
