Gallant details to Austin Israel's preparation for Iran's threat of attack

The Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, detailed to the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, the "preparation" of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the face of the possible attack by Iran in retaliation for the death in Tehran of the was head of the political office of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, whose authorship the Hebrew State has neither claimed nor denied.

During the conversation, the Israeli Defense Minister discussed with his American counterpart "interoperability with the wide range of US military capabilities deployed in the region," according to the statement released by the Ministry of Defense.

The conversation between Gallant and Austin takes place in anticipation of an attack by Iran, together with the Lebanese Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah, against Israeli territory, which some reports, citing intelligence sources, predict for this Monday, before the round of negotiations. for the ceasefire in Gaza that was going to take place on Tuesday, but to which Hamas finally announced last night that it would not attend.

This Monday at sunset begins in Israel the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, a date full of symbolism that Iran could have chosen for its attack against the Hebrew nation.

On Sunday, Austin ordered the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and reiterated the Joe Biden Administration's commitment to defending Israel, according to the Pentagon.

In addition, the US Secretary of Defense highlighted the strengthening of the position and capabilities of the US military force throughout the Middle East "in light of growing regional tensions."

Part of this commitment is the deployment of the guided missile submarine USS Georgia to the region.

Austin also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the US Central Command area of ​​responsibility, adding to the response capability already provided by the USS Theodore aircraft carrier. Roosevelt.

"Gallant stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement for the release of the hostages," the Israeli Defense statement finally states.

Ten months after the start of the war, 111 hostages remain captive in Gaza - at least 39 of them dead, according to the Israel Defense Forces - while rising tensions in the Middle East increasingly compromise negotiations between Israel and Hamas that enable their return. EFE and Aurora