Washington strengthens its defense. The United States has announced new military deployments to the Middle East that will arrive “in the coming months” for the “defense of Israel” and as a warning to Iran, according to a Pentagon statement Friday.
Pentagon chief 'continues to make clear that if Iran, its partners or affiliated groups take advantage of this moment to target U.S. personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures to defend our people », Underlines the press release.
This announcement comes as a few days before the presidential election in the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday in Jerusalem with American envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, who then left for Washington.
According to Israeli media citing government sources, the envoys carried a plan providing for a withdrawal of Hezbollah from the border areas of southern Lebanon, as well as the withdrawal of the Israeli army from this region, control of which would return to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.
But Israeli officials said the soldiers, engaged in a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since September 30, would not withdraw before an agreement that would meet Israel's security demands. Benjamin Netanyahu assured that he “appreciated” the support from Washington, while refusing to give in to pressure from his ally.
In mid-October, the Pentagon announced the deployment in Israel of an American high-altitude anti-missile defense system THAAD, which will be operated by the United States military, after missile attacks by Iran.
