Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said today that the U.S. government is monitoring the situation in the Middle East and calling on all parties to de-escalate regional tensions.
The Defense Department has increased its military presence in the Middle East to enhance U.S. force protection measures. This includes deploying F-22 Raptors and positioning the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group in the area. Additional ships are on standby to respond to potential attacks from Iran or Iranian-backed groups in the region.
The steps were taken to “increase support for the defense of Israel and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to a various number of contingencies,” Singh said. “The secretary and the department remain intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the region and pushing for a cease-fire as part of the hostage deal to end the war in Gaza.”
Iran and Iranian-backed groups have threatened to attack Israel. Singh did not comment on the imminence of any attacks. “We’ve, of course, seen the public messaging that has come out — whether it be from Hezbollah or Iran — and that’s why the secretary decided that he did to bolster our force posture in the region,” she said. “And, of course, our commitment to the defense of Israel remains ironclad.”
Singh also commented on Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, stating that Ukrainians have the right to defend themselves against attacks coming from across the border. She mentioned that the raid aligns with U.S. restrictions on using systems supplied by the United States. Ukrainians are acting within the parameters of U.S. policy, and Singh noted that the U.S. has been supportive of Ukraine from the outset and recognizes their success on the battlefield. Additionally, she pointed out that as the battlefield dynamics have changed, Ukrainians have been able to push the Russians back further into Russian territory.
The United States does not support long-range attacks on Russia but does support Ukrainian efforts to disrupt attacks on their sovereign territory, the deputy press secretary said.
