US to increase forces in Mideast with F15s, F22s
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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies," according to a Pentagon statement.
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks in Greenwich, London on September 26, 2024. (AP)
The United States will send extra fighter aircraft squadrons to the Middle East to strengthen its security posture as combat in the area escalates, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Monday.
"The forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment the in-place forces already in the region," according to Singh. "Again, I won't talk specific timelines or numbers for OPSEC [Operational Security] reasons, but can tell you these augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel."
The US Department of Defense stated on Sunday that it has increased the readiness of extra US soldiers to respond swiftly to a potential assault by Iran and its allies against US personnel and interests in the Middle East.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies," according to a Pentagon statement.
The statement emphasized that the Pentagon "maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region."
The statement boasted that the US has the capacity to deploy forces "on short notice" and maintains a "significant amount" of capability in the region amid the evolving security situation.
According to the Pentagon, "Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people."
Resistance steadfast, to curb 'Israel's' goals: MP Fadlallah
The key to facing the challenges facing Lebanon is "resilience, resilience, and resilience," Loyalty to the Resistance bloc Hassan Fadlallah told Al Mayadeen on Monday, reiterating it to symbolize the importance of the notion as he assured that the morale of the Resistance remains high.
Commenting on the Israeli threats of a ground invasion of Lebanon, Fadlallah told Al Mayadeen: "When we confront the enemy on the battlefield, we know how they flee from the Resistance fighters." He asserted that the Lebanese Resistance possesses the will to fight, stretching from Naqoura to Shebaa, stressing, "The community surrounding the Resistance is magnificent and unbreakable."
Fadlallah reaffirmed that the Resistance is steadfast and will continue to confront the Israeli occupation, which is backed by the US and its Western allies. "Our battle is to prevent the enemy from achieving its goals," he said. This is "a moment of confrontation and resilience, and the priority is to stop the aggression against our people, our country, and the Palestinian people."
Fadlallah also addressed the martyrdom of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Southern Suburbs, saying, "We possess faith, will, and steadfastness...The blood of Sayyed Nasrallah boils in the veins of hundreds of thousands of fighters ready to continue the struggle."
