Important Statements from Pentagon Spokesperson Pat Ryder
Pentagon Spokesperson Pat Ryder responded to questions from reporters at his daily press briefing. While assessing the current situation in the Middle East, he said, “The situation in this region is extremely serious right now.” In this context, he stated that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered additional defensive weapons and ammunition to be sent to the region.
Asked this week about the possibility of Iranian retaliation against Israel, Ryder said, “It’s certainly possible.” He also declined to speculate on the timing of a possible attack, saying, “I’m not going to try to predict when they might strike, other than to say we have to take this seriously and we are doing that.” Ryder reiterated that the US goal is to defuse the situation, preserve its forces and bolster Israel’s defenses.
The Pentagon spokesman stressed that no one wants to see tensions escalate in the region and that the current situation does not want to turn into a regional conflict. “There is always a time frame for diplomacy to work,” Ryder said, adding, “I hope we do not find ourselves in a situation where we have to use these capabilities. However, if we have to use them in defense of Israel, we will not hesitate to do so.”
“What we’re trying to do here is decide a broader regional conflict and prevent a regional war in a very tense Middle East where Iran is threatening to retaliate, potentially with overwhelming force, and again be very clear about our commitment to helping defend Israel ,” Ryder said.
On the other hand, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, on July 31. While Iran and Hamas claimed that Israel was behind the attack, Tehran stated that it would respond to the Tel Aviv administration . The Pentagon announced earlier this month that the US would deploy additional military assets to the Middle East in order to prevent any possible Iranian retaliation against Israel.
