Photo: Charles Brown
The risk of a wider war in the Middle East in the near term has diminished somewhat after Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah exchanged blows without further escalation, US Air Force General Charles Brown, who serves as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters in an interview.
General Brown spoke to Reuters after a three-day trip to the Middle East. He arrived in Israel hours after Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israeli territory, an attack that was followed by an Israeli strike on Lebanon. It was one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of fighting along the border, but it ended with little damage to Israel and no immediate threats of retaliation from either side.
Asked if the immediate risk of a regional war had diminished, Brown said: “To some extent, yes.” He noted that the Hezbollah strike was one of two major attacks against Israel in recent weeks. Iran has also threatened retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran in July.
“Two things were expected. One has already happened. Now everything depends on how the second one is implemented,”– the general said, stressing that "how Iran responds will determine Israel's response, and that will determine whether a broader conflict begins."
Brown also noted the danger posed by Tehran's allies in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, who have attacked American troops, as well as Yemen's Houthis, who have attacked shipping in the Red Sea. He called the Houthi rebels "an element of unpredictability," expressing concern that they could also act on their own.
Despite the risks, Brown stressed that the U.S. military is in a better position to defend Israel and its own forces in the Middle East than it was in April, when Iran launched a major attack on Israel. “We're in a better position,” Brown said, noting the decision to maintain two carrier strike groups in the Middle East and deploy additional F-22 fighters.
Iran had previously promised a tough response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the killing. Brown said that whatever plans the Iranian military may have, the decision ultimately rests with the political leadership in Tehran.
“They want to do something that would send a message, but I think they also don't want to do anything that could trigger a larger conflict,” the U.S. general said.
Prepared by: Sergei Daga