The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday that the U.S. could be more limited in its ability to defend Israel from attacks by Hezbollah than it was helping intercept Iran’s April missile and drone attack on Israel, which was largely thwarted.
“From our perspective, based on where our forces are, the short range between Lebanon and Israel, it’s harder for us to be able to support them in the same way we did back in April,” Joint Chiefs Chairman General C.Q. Brown told reporters before stopping in Cape Verde on his way to regional defense talks in Botswana.
On Friday, however, CNN reported that senior U.S. officials told an Israeli delegation in Washington that in the event of a full-out war with Hezbollah, the U.S. is prepared to back Israel and offer security assistance, according to a senior administration official.
The official did note that this support would not include the deployment of U.S. troops on the ground.
- Facing a looming war with Hezbollah, Israel has six tough options
- Blinken urges Israeli officials to avoid further escalation with Hezbollah
- For Israel and Hezbollah, full-scale war is question of when, not if
Brown also said in his comments on Sunday that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon has the potential to increase the risk of a broader conflict that draws in Iran and Iran-aligned militants, particularly if Hezbollah’s existence is threatened. Brown did not predict Israel’s next steps and acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself, but he cautioned that a Lebanon offensive “can drive up the potential for a broader conflict.”
His remarks came as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant headed to Washington on Sunday to discuss the next phase of the Gaza war and escalating hostilities on the border with Lebanon.
“Hezbollah is more capable than Hamas as far as overall capability, number of rockets and the like. And I would just say I would see Iran be more inclined to provide greater support to Hezbollah,” Brown said.
Commrades attend the funeral of a killed Hezbollah fighter earlier in June.Credit: AFP / Hassan Fneich
“Again, all this could help to broaden the conflict in the region and really have Israel not only be worried about what’s happening on their southern part of the country, but also now what’s happening in the north.”
The Iran-backed terror organization, Hezbollah, began attacking Israel shortly after Hamas’ October 7 massacre sparked the war in Gaza. Hezbollah has said it will continue its attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
Earlier in June, Hezbollah targeted Israeli towns and military sites with the largest volleys of rockets and drones in the hostilities so far, after an Israeli strike killed the most senior Hezbollah commander yet.