Official government statements or credible news reports

U.S. Defense Secretary Questions Israel's Preparedness After Nasrallah's Assassination Amid Iran's Threats

Oct 10, 2024, 07:38 PM

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly expressed surprise when informed by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant about Israel's plan to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Following the elimination of Nasrallah, Austin questioned Israel's preparedness to defend itself without U.S. assistance. Gallant warned that Iran 'won’t understand what happened to it' if Israel strikes back. Concurrently, Iran has issued secret warnings to U.S. allies in the Middle East, threatening to target Arab Gulf states and other allies if their territories or airspace are used for attacks on Iran. This has led some Arab states to inform the U.S. that they will not support any military action against Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.