US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Israel's defense, the Pentagon said late on Saturday.
Austin "spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to discuss Israel’s defense against Lebanese (Hezbollah) attacks," a Pentagon readout of the call said.
"Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s defense against any attacks by Iran and its regional partners and proxies," it added.
The Israeli military launched pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon on Sunday after detecting preparations for "large-scale" attacks by Hezbollah.
The military also warned Israelis to expect incoming missiles and drones launched by Hezbollah, with the government declaring a 48-hour state of emergency.
Hezbollah issued a statement shortly after announcing large-scale drone and rocket launches targeting deep into Israeli territory in retaliation for the death of its military commander, Fouad Shukr, in an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs last month.
In the US, a spokesman for the National Security Council, Sean Savett, said President Joe Biden was “closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.”
“At his direction, senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts,” Savett added. "We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability.”
