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Pentagon Chief Tells Israel That US Is ‘Well-Postured’ against Iran

A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Pentagon Chief Tells Israel That US Is ‘Well-Postured’ against Iran

A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
A rocket flies in the sky after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart late on Tuesday, hours after Iran's missile attack on Israel following Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, and said Washington was "well-postured" to defend its interests in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel's military campaign in Lebanon that has killed hundreds and displaced over a million people.

Iran later said its missile attack on Israel was over, barring further provocation. No injuries were reported in Israel and Washington called Iran's attack ineffective.

Israel and the US have promised to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensify.

"The Secretary (Austin) reaffirmed that the United States remains well postured to defend US personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations," the Pentagon said in a statement after Austin's call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defense of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact," Austin said separately in a post on X.

Israel has escalated its military campaign in Lebanon in recent days, launching operations that the Israeli military says are targeting Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

Israel is also waging a war in Gaza, which followed a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Hamas movement. Israeli's military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly everyone there, caused a hunger crisis in the enclave.

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Typhoon Bringing Heavy Rain Slowly Heads toward Taiwan, 4,000 Evacuated

A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP)
A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP)
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Typhoon Bringing Heavy Rain Slowly Heads toward Taiwan, 4,000 Evacuated

A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP)
A car moves along the shore in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the area. (AP)

A typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall slowly advanced Wednesday toward Taiwan, where thousands of people have been evacuated from vulnerable low-lying or mountainous terrain.

At least 93 centimeters (3 feet) of rain has fallen in the coastal Taitung County in the past four days and 29 centimeters (11.4 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon.

The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of 209 kph (130 mph), is expected to make landfall early Thursday on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast, according to the island's Central Weather Administration.

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.

Authorities shut schools and government offices across the island and canceled all domestic flights.

In the eastern Hualien County, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from townships vulnerable to landslides. Almost 200 people in the southwestern city of Tainan and more than 800 residents of the southern Pingtung County were also evacuated.

Before noon Wednesday, the center of the typhoon was around 130 kilometers (81 miles) southwest of Kaohsiung, moving northeastward at around 8 kph (5 mph). It has been weakening and will continue to do so after landfall, the weather administration said.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai earlier warned residents against approaching areas prone to flooding and landslides near rivers, the sea and the mountains. He likened Krathon’s intensity to that of Typhoon Thelma, which in 1977 devastated Kaohsiung and caused 37 deaths.

In Kaohsiung, most stores and restaurants remained closed for a second consecutive day. Shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of essentials including bread, meats and instant noodles.

Almost 40,000 troops were on standby to help with rescue efforts.

The typhoon on Monday lashed northern Philippine islands, where four people were killed and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.