General Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived in Israel on Saturday for an unannounced visit intended to prevent an all-out war with Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, Hezbollah.
Brown landed in Jordan on Friday, where he told reporters he would visit Egypt as well as Israel to meet with senior military officials in each country.
Brown told Reuters before his arrival in the region that he aims to work with regional counterparts to determine “what are the things we can do to deter any type of broader escalation and ensure we’re taking all the appropriate steps.”
In recent weeks Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has surged military support to the region as a deterrent against any new attack by Iran or its allies.
Earlier this week the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group – described as a “floating airbase” – arrived in the Mediterranean.
A squadron of F-22 Raptor warplanes, the most advanced in the world, has also been deployed to the region, as was a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine.
“We brought in additional capability to send a strong message to deter a broader conflict … but also to protect our forces should they be attacked,” Brown said.
US service members deployed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked already several times by Iranian-aligned militant groups.
Brown added that he intended to explore with his Israeli counterpart what the IDF’s response might be in case of an attack by Iran, which has vowed to avenge the blood of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated on July 31 during a visit to Tehran.
Earlier this year, the Islamic Republic launched a barrage of some 300 combat drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Israel in an April 13 attack in response to an Israeli air strike targeting the residence of Iran’s Ambassador to Syria.
Israel said the building was being used as a headquarters by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).The Iranian Embassy in Syria, located next door, was not touched and the Iranian ambassador was not home at the time of the strike – making it clear Israel had targeted IRGC officials.
Hezbollah has threatened similar retaliation following the assassination in Beirut of Fuad Shukr, the chief of staff and Number 2 in Lebanon’s Iranian proxy, a few hours prior to Haniyeh’s murder.
Brown told reporters in June that the US will not be able to assist Israel in the case of an all-out war with Hezbollah due to the type of weapons used by the Iranian proxy.
The general told reporters at the time that Israeli officials were warned to consider how a ground operation in Lebanon might impact not only the region, but how it also could impact US forces in the area.
Brown’s visit this weekend comes as Qatari, Egyptian, US and Israeli negotiators are preparing for a new round of hostage release talks set for Sunday in Cairo. Hamas, which is still holding 109 of the 251 hostages abducted from Israel by its terrorists on October 7, 2023, has refused to attend and is rejecting the current deal on the table.
The emir of Qatar is expected to travel to Cairo for the talks hosted by Egypt, as will a delegation from Israel and US CIA director Bill Burns.
Hamas has not sent a representative to the negotiations since the election of the terror group’s Gaza chief, Yahya Sinwar, as “absolute leader” following the July 31 assassination in Tehran of Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh.
However, Egypt has consistently backed the demands of the terrorist organization, and Qatar is still playing host to much of the Hamas leadership who are living a life of luxury in Doha.
Hamas has repeatedly announced its rejection of the deal that has been endorsed by the United States, the United Nations Security Council and the State of Israel.
Earlier this week, Hamas also rejected a “bridging proposal” offered by negotiators to sweeten the deal for the terror group.
