US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that the US stands ready to support Israel if it is attacked. He added, however, that he does not believe war in the Middle East is inevitable.
“We don’t want to see that happen. We will work hard to ensure that the thermometer goes down and that all issues are addressed through diplomatic means,” the US minister said.
Asked specifically about Haniya’s assassination and what it means for developments, he stressed that he had seen the relevant reports about the assassination of the Hamas political leader in Iran, but declined to comment further. He also noted that he had not spoken to his counterpart Yoav Gald in the past 24 hours. “We will do everything to avoid a regional war in the Middle East,” he concluded.
All developments on the Nautemporiki live blog.