Top US general: Israel-Hezbollah exchange reduced risk of wider war

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (left) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown during a visit to the Israeli military’s Northern Command on Aug. 26, 2024. Credit: IDF.

by Joshua Marks

(JNS) — Israel’s preemptive attack on Hezbollah early on Aug. 25  has “somewhat” reduced the near-term risk of a wider regional war, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters on Aug. 26.

Brown flew to Israel hours after the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran’s Lebanese terror proxy, which launched hundreds of drones and rockets at the Jewish state after Israeli warplanes knocked out thousands of Hezbollah launchers in Southern Lebanon.

The top U.S. commander spoke to Reuters at the end of the snap three-day Middle East swing, cautioning that while the immediate risk of war has dissipated to a degree, the threat from Iran remains.

Tehran and its terror proxy in Lebanon both vowed revenge for the targeted killings of high-ranking Hezbollah and Hamas leaders late last month in Beirut and Tehran, respectively.

Following the Aug. 25 attack, Hezbollah declared success, though the terror group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the terror group would continue to evaluate the outcome of the strikes in the coming days.

“You had two things you knew were going to happen. One’s already happened,” said Brown while flying out of Israel. “Now it depends on how the second is going to play out,” he added.

“How Iran responds will dictate how Israel responds, which will dictate whether there is going to be a broader conflict or not,” he continued, while suggesting that the Islamic Republic’s leadership might reconsider a more robust response.

“They want to do something that sends a message but they also, I think… don’t want to do something that’s going to create a broader conflict,” he said.

The general warned that Iran’s other regional terror proxies also posed a risk, singling out the Houthis in Yemen as a “wild card” while also mentioning Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, who have attacked U.S. troops.

“And do these others actually go off and do things on their own because they’re not satisfied — the Houthis in particular?” he said. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked Red Sea shipping channels and Israel for months in support of the Hamas terror group.

While Israel on Aug. 25 struck some 270 Hezbollah targets, destroying thousands of launchers and over 6,000 missiles and drones according to the Israeli military, Brown warned that the Lebanese terror group is still capable of attacking.

Since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, Hezbollah has launched more than 6,700 rockets, missiles and armed drones at the Jewish state, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands from northern Israel.

Brown also said that the U.S. military is better prepared to defend Israel from an Iranian attack than it was on April 13, when the Islamic Republic launched more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones at the Jewish state.

The vast majority of the missiles and drones were intercepted by Israel, the United States and other coalition forces and regional allies. In recent weeks, the Americans have positioned warships, fighter jets and other assets in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region in a massive show of force aimed at deterring another Iranian assault.

“We’re better postured. We try to improve upon what we did in April,” Brown said, noting the decision on Sunday to maintain two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East, as well as an extra squadron of F-22 fighter jets.

Brown meets Gallant, Halevi

Brown met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top military officials in Tel Aviv on Aug. 26.

He also traveled to the IDF Northern Command, where he was briefed on the threats from Lebanon and Syria.

“We are strengthening operational cooperation in the face of challenges and threats in the Middle East. Israel is strong and defends itself on its own, yet it is always good to have a strong ally by our side, who shares common values and interests with us,” Halevi said after the visit.

“About a month ago, we eliminated the most senior military commander in Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr Mohsen, after Hezbollah killed 12 children in Majdal Shams,” he continued. “Yesterday, in a pre-emptive action, we prevented Hezbollah from another attempt to harm the citizens of the State of Israel — in the north and center. The vast majority of the targets we destroyed yesterday were aimed at the north of the country,” he said.

“We are very determined to continue to harm Hezbollah, to eliminate more and more commanders, and to deprive it of assets and capabilities — we are not stopping. Hezbollah has more capabilities and the work is not yet complete. Our mission is clear — to return the residents of the north to their homes in safety, and the IDF works for this around the clock. We are determined to return the residents of the north to their homes safely as soon as possible,” Halevi continued.

In Tel Aviv, Gallant thanked Brown for his leadership and support for Israel, while warning that Iran is at “an all-time high in aggressive activities” and that Tehran continues to pursue nuclear weapons, according to a statement from Gallant’s office.

“The defense minister said that Israel and the United States must be prepared at any time to fulfill their joint commitment to prevent Iran from gaining… nuclear weapons,” the statement continued.

“Minister Gallant discussed the ‘strategic junction’ that Israel currently faces, as it continues to pursue the goals of this war: dismantling the Hamas terrorist organization, ensuring the return of hostages held by Hamas, and changing the security situation along Israel’s northern border so that the region’s communities may safely return to their homes.”

According to a U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff readout of the meeting with Gallant and Halevi in Tel Aviv, “the leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership while also discussing the most recent engagement across the Israeli-Lebanese border and the need to de-escalate tensions to avoid a broader conflict.

“They also discussed the Chairman’s recent engagements with regional partners, Israel having the means to defend itself, the vital need for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza residents and to minimize civilian casualties, and the importance of preventing the conflict from broadening.”

The statement concluded: “The U.S. continues to coordinate with Israel and other allies and partners on ways to improve regional security and stability, protect U.S. forces in the Middle East, and deter a broader conflict.”