Lloyd Austin tells Israel that US is 'well-postured' against Iran

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart late Tuesday, hours after Iran's missile attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel's military campaign in Lebanon. He said Washington was "well-postured" to defend its interests in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel, targeting its military operations in Lebanon, which have killed hundreds and displaced over a million people.

Iran later stated that its missile attack on Israel was over, barring further provocation. No injuries were reported in Israel, and Washington deemed Iran's attack ineffective.

Israel and the U.S. have pledged to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensify.

"The Secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations," the Pentagon said in a statement following Austin's call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defense of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact," Austin said in a separate post on X.

Israel has escalated its military campaign in Lebanon in recent days, launching operations that the Israeli military says target Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants.

Reuters