US Defense Secretary Guarantees Israel's Defense from Iran

Washington has said they will help defend Israel if it faces an attack from Iran, even as they work to ease tensions in the region following the killing of a Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.

At the same time, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austinstressed that the main priority is to prevent a possible escalation of the conflict and resolve problems through diplomatic channels.

“We don't want anything like that to happen again. We are actively working to make sure that we do everything we can to reduce tensions and resolve issues through negotiations,” he said. He said he did not believe that a full-scale war in the Middle East was inevitable.

“The United States is seeking to reduce the growing tensions in the region. I do not think that war is inevitable. There is always an opportunity for diplomatic resolution of conflicts,” Austin emphasized.

The leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas was killed in Tehran, Ismail Haniaand one of his guards as a result of shelling at their residence in the Iranian capital, sources said, citing a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.