General Charles Brown, the US Air Force Chief and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the situation in the Middle East in an interview with Reuters.
Brown visited the region a day before a major attack by Hezbollah on northern Israel. He noted that this strike was one of the two main threats Israel has faced in recent weeks, with the second threat coming from Iran.
When asked whether the immediate risk of a regional war had decreased, Brown replied: «To some extent, yes. We were aware of two likely events. One has already occurred, and now much depends on how the second develops.»
He added that it is important to monitor Iran’s response and Israel’s subsequent actions. There is also a risk of attacks from pro-Iranian groups in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan.
Brown emphasized that American forces in the region are currently better prepared than they were in April. The US maintains a presence with two carrier strike groups and an additional squadron of F-22 fighters.
Image source flickr.com/Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
