A senior US general began an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday to discuss ways to avoid escalating tensions that could escalate into a wider conflict. The visit comes as the region braces for the threat of an Iranian attack on Israel.
Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began his trip in Jordan. Brown said he would also travel to Egypt and Israel in the coming days to hear from military leaders.
His visit comes as the US tries to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza in exchange for a hostage release deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. If achieved, Brown said, it would “help lower tensions.”
“At the same time, when I talk to my colleagues, what are the things that we can do to prevent a broader escalation and make sure that we take all the appropriate steps to (avoid) … a broader conflict,” Brown told Reuters before landing in Jordan.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking to limit the impact of the Gaza war between Hamas and Israel, now in its 11th month. The conflict has leveled large swathes of Gaza, sparked border clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, and prompted attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Red Sea shipping lanes.
Meanwhile, US forces have come under attack by Iran-aligned militias in Syria, Iraq and Jordan.
Iran's response
Iran has vowed a harsh response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which occurred while he was visiting Tehran late last month. Iran has blamed Israel, while Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
On Friday (23/8), Iran's new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his French and British counterparts in a telephone conversation that his country reserves the right to retaliate, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Brown did not speculate on what Iran and its allies might do, but he said he hoped to discuss different scenarios with his Israeli counterpart.
“In particular, when I interact with my Israeli counterparts, how they will respond depends on the response coming from Hezbollah or Iran,” Brown said.
The current war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, Israel's military offensive has driven nearly the entire Palestinian enclave's 2.3 million people from their homes, unleashing deadly famine and disease that has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian health authority. (ft)
