On Tuesday evening, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed support for Israel’s right to self-defense in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He also warned Iran that any escalation of military conflict with Israel would result in “serious consequences”.
A statement released by the Pentagon after Austin’s call with Gallant highlighted Austin’s commitment to protecting American personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. He emphasized the US’s determination to prevent any party from exploiting tensions or escalating conflicts.
Another statement from Austin reiterated US support for Israel’s right to self-defense against Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, Houthi militants, and other Iran-backed terrorist groups.
Both sides agreed on the necessity of dismantling infrastructure along the Lebanon border used for attacks to ensure that Hezbollah cannot launch similar assaults on northern Israeli communities, as seen on October 7th last year.
Austin reiterated, “If Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack on Israel, Iran will face serious consequences”.
In a social media post on platform X, Austin wrote, “Today, after Iran’s despicable aggression against Israel, I had a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant. We thanked each other for coordination to defend against Iran’s launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles and pledged to maintain close communication. My deepest condolences go out to the families affected by the terrorist fatal shooting incidents in Israel.”
Earlier that day, a shooting incident occurred in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv, where two gunmen opened fire on pedestrians at a train station before being neutralized by an armed civilian and Israeli security forces. The incident resulted in at least 6 deaths and 9 injuries.
Shortly after the shooting, Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for alleged Israeli military actions that targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, and Hamas leaders.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on platform X in the early hours of the 2nd, “Earlier tonight, on October 1st, we exercised our right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter… Our actions will cease unless Israel decides to retaliate further.”
According to the Israeli military, most of the missiles were intercepted, with no reported casualties on the Israeli side. Washington officials stated that Iran’s attack had no significant impact.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Iran would “pay a price” for launching missiles at Israel, warning that “whoever attacks us, we will attack back”.
Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas crossed the border and attacked Israel on October 7th last year, sparking the Gaza War. The conflict has now extended for nearly a year, spreading from Gaza to Lebanon, with no apparent end in sight.