Biden ready to ‘adjust’ US forces in Middle East amid tensions, White House says

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President Joe Biden has ordered that US forces in the Middle East be adjusted “as necessary”, the White House said on Friday, after Israel launched a wave of strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut targeting Hezbollah’s headquarters.

“He directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary the posture of U.S. forces in the region to strengthen deterrence, ensure force protection, and support overall U.S. objectives,” the White House said in a statement. press release.

Biden also ordered US embassies in the region to “take all appropriate protective measures,” it said.

The US president, who visited his seaside home in Delaware on Friday, was briefed several times by his national security team, the White House added.

Biden earlier confirmed that “the United States had no knowledge of or participation in the (Israeli) action,” adding in remarks to reporters that “we are collecting information.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said the United States was not informed in advance, adding that he spoke on the phone with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant “while the Israeli operation was already in progress.

A U.S. official said separately that Israel informed Washington “once the operation was already underway and they had planes in the air.”

Israeli television channels reported that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strike, although a source close to Hezbollah said he was “fine.”

nsp/acb