U. S. Secretary of Defense went on Middle East tour
2023.03.05 13:44
U. S. Secretary of Defense went on Middle East tour
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – According to U.S. officials, the arrival of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Jordan on Sunday marked the beginning of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Israel and Egypt to demonstrate support for the United States’ primary regional allies in the face of the growing threat posed by Iran.
“Reaffirm the U.S. commitment to regional stability and advancing the shared interests of our allies and partners,” Austin wrote on Twitter prior to his departure.
Prior to the visit, the U.S. Defense Department stated that discussions would focus on advancing multilateral security cooperation with integrated air and missile defenses and the growing Iranian threat to regional stability.
Prior to the visit, a senior defense official was quoted as saying that the “full constellation of Iran-associated threats… will be central to discussion.”
He went on to say, “These threats include Iran arming, training, and funding violent proxy groups, aggression at sea, cyber threats, its ballistic missile program, and drone attacks.”
According to U.S. officials, Austin will also discuss diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions ahead of Muslim and Jewish religious holidays in Israel and raise his concerns about a surge in violence in the West Bank that has alarmed Jordan and Arab leaders.
