US touts ‘robust’ military presence in Mideast as crisis grows

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Washington was concerned about a widening of the conflict, but also asserted Israel’s right to defend itself – Copyright AFP Jim WATSON

The United States said Sunday that it had a strong military presence in the Middle East after deploying reinforcements amid Israel’s widening of the war to include hundreds of targets in Lebanon.

With Israel pressing on with a bombing campaign against Hezbollah and with its campaign in Gaza, White House national security spokesman John Kirby characterized the US deployment as “robust,” without providing details.

“There is already a very robust military capability to defend ourselves and to help defend Israel,” Kirby said on US broadcaster ABC, adding that more forces had been sent since Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel in April.

In a statement, the Pentagon on Sunday said an aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit have been ordered to keep operating in the eastern Mediterranean and that these forces were backed by an “elevated presence” of warplanes.

The United States “will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said.

Kirby reiterated that the United States was concerned about a widening of the conflict in the Middle East, but also asserted Israel’s right to “eliminate this threat to their people and to their land,” referring to Hezbollah.

“We’ve been concerned, almost since the beginning of this conflict, about it broadening, widening, becoming a regional war,” Kirby said.

Fears are growing that Israel might launch ground operations in Lebanon, capitalizing on its momentum and US support after killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top figures in the armed group.

Despite the atmosphere of acute and growing crisis, Kirby said the United States had no imminent plans to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon, but urged its people to get out while they can.

He said it was too early to say who would assume the leadership of Hezbollah after Israel killed Nasrallah in an air strike in Beirut on Friday.