With the IDF on high alert following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has asked the United States for additional military support to defend against a possible Iranian attack. According to the Kan news service, Israel wants the United States to send additional forces to the Middle East that could help intercept missiles and drones that Iran could use to attack Israeli territory.
The Israeli government also asked the United States for diplomatic measures aimed at preventing possible attacks from Tehran. As Axios reports, citing Israeli and US officials, Jerusalem wants Washington to use its diplomatic and military resources to prevent Iran from attacking.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has already entered the phase of a full-scale war, threatening to drag Iran, Hezbollah’s biggest ally in the region, into the conflict. Until recently, Tehran avoided direct involvement in confrontation with Israel to avoid provoking a broader war. However, the removal of Nasrallah could shift this balance and push Iran to take more decisive action, fear in both Washington and Jerusalem.
US President Joe Biden, in response to the tense situation, has instructed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to strengthen the presence of US military forces in the Middle East. This, he said, is necessary to “deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.”
Tensions between Jerusalem and Washington have risen after Israel failed to warn the Biden administration of an imminent attack on Beirut. The US side previously called for a de-escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah, but Israel decided to eliminate Nasrallah without prior consultation with the White House.
Although Washington was unaware of the attack plans, the United States did not criticize Israel and publicly supported its right to self-defense. President Biden and representatives of his administration noted that “Nasrallah had blood on his hands,” but emphasized that such Israeli measures do not resolve broader strategic issues in the region.
Still, a US official said: “It is annoying that the Israelis carry out such operations without consulting us and then ask for help to contain the consequences.”
Previously, Kursor wrote that Biden made a new comment about Israel’s liquidation of Nasrallah.
