The Pentagon's most senior uniformed official believes the threat of a larger war in the Middle East has diminished after an exchange of blows between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah earlier this week and the lack of further attacks.
But Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C. Q. Brown said on Monday that even if the risk of conflict had decreased, Iran and its proxies It remains a big risk Tehran is considering attacking Israel.
Coming off a three-day Middle East trip that included a stop in Israel, Brown told the media that the short-term risk of a regional war had “somewhat” diminished.
“There were two things we knew were going to happen. One has already happened. It just depends on how the second one unfolds,” Brown told Reuters as he left Israel.
Brown was referring to two major threats of attack against Israel in recent weeks: Hezbollah attacks and Iran's vows to attack Israel in response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
“Iran's response will determine Israel's response, which will determine whether a broader conflict occurs,” he added.
About 100 Israeli fighter jets struck dozens of sites in Lebanon early Sunday in what Israel called a pre-emptive strike ahead of a larger Hezbollah offensive.
Shortly afterwards, Hezbollah fired around 300 rockets and drones at what it said were Israeli military facilities.
Neither side has sought further escalation after the attack, the heaviest shelling in more than 10 months. Fighting on both sides has intensified since war between Israel and Hamas began in October.
Brown said dangers remained from Iran-allied nations in neighboring Iraq, Syria and Jordan, which have attacked U.S. forces in the region over the past year, and from Yemen's Houthis, who have fired on ships in the Red Sea and at Israel.
Brown's visit, which also included meetings with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Helgi Halevi, comes as the Biden administration seeks to limit further damage from the war between Israel and Hamas.
The conflict, which saw Israeli forces destroy large parts of the Gaza Strip, has led to a humanitarian crisis that has left at least 40,000 Palestinians dead and forced the displacement of almost all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.
The war has also further escalated border conflicts between Israel and Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Yemen.
