Defence Secy Austin reiterates US support for Israel against threats from Iran, Hezbollah

Washington DC: Amidst the communication device explosions in Lebanon, United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant on Wednesday to review regional security developments.
During his conversation with Gallant, Austin reiterated "unwavering US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iran's other regional partners."
The Pentagon, in a press release, further said that Austin stressed the US' efforts to de-escalate tensions across the region and reaffirmed the priority of achieving a Gaza ceasefire deal that will bring home hostages held by Hamas.
"The Secretary emphasised the US commitment to deterring regional adversaries and efforts to deescalate tensions across the region. The Secretary reaffirmed the priority of achieving a Gaza ceasefire deal that will bring home hostages held by Hamas, and an enduring diplomatic resolution to the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border that will allow civilians on both sides to return to their homes," the Pentagon said.
Notably, coordinated attacks across Lebanon targeted communication devices that resulted in devastating consequences. In the latest attacks, at least 20 people lost their lives and over 450 were injured, authorities said, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The latest attack came just a day after 12 people were killed and more than 2800 others were wounded in a coordinated explosion of pagers in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Gallant has declared the start of a "new phase" in the war and asserted that the focus is now on the northern arena.
Sharing a post on X, Gallant said, "We are at the start of a new phase in the war - we are allocating resources and forces to the northern arena and our mission is clear: ensuring the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes. To do so, the security situation must be changed."
Hezbollah had blamed Israel for the pager explosions on Tuesday and pledged retribution. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials urged people who possess pagers to discard them.