The Pentagon is considering options to increase the US contingent in the Middle East over fears of a possible response from Iran or Hezbollah to the assassination of the movement’s general secretary, Hassan Nasrullah, NBC News reports, citing US officials.
“The Pentagon is considering options to increase the number of soldiers and weapons in the Middle East after the assassination of Hassan Nasrullah” – indicates the television channel.
It should be noted that the US Secretary of Defense was presented with several options to increase the US contingent in the region. lloyd austinwho discussed some of them with the President of the United States. joe biden and national security officials, but a final decision has not yet been made.
The television channel recalls that the United States currently has about 40,000 soldiers stationed in the Middle East. According to the television channel, the Pentagon, in particular, is considering strengthening the air defense of its contingent in the region.
Earlier, Hezbollah confirmed the death of its secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, as a result of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Since last week, the Israeli Air Force has been carrying out massive strikes against Hezbollah targets in different areas of Lebanon. There were also several targeted airstrikes in Beirut, as a result of which senior Hezbollah commanders were eliminated.
To date, the Israeli military has reported attacks on several thousand Hezbollah targets. Observers note that Israel has not attacked Hezbollah with such intensity since the Second Lebanon War in 2006.