"There is a place for diplomacy": Pentagon chief says whether a large-scale war in the Middle East is possible

The United States does not consider a large-scale war in the Middle East inevitable. Washington is doing everything possible to reduce tensions in the region and leave room for diplomacy.

At the same time, the United States does not back down from its commitment to defend Israel in the event of an attack on it. This was stated by Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin, Reuters reports.

"I do not believe that war is inevitable. I say it is. I think there is always room and opportunity for diplomacy. What we've seen along the border, the northern border, with Israel for a long time has been a concern for us. Again, we're going to do everything we can to make sure that the situation doesn't escalate into a larger conflict in the entire region," Austin emphasized.

The Pentagon chief's statement came after information emerged about the elimination of one of Hezbollah's commanders in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The terrorist killed by Israel, according to the United States, was behind the strike on the Golan Heights that killed children.

In parallel, Washington is monitoring the situation with the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on the night of July 31.

"I don't have any additional information," the Pentagon chief said when asked by journalists what details of the Hamas leader's assassination were known to the US defense department.

Meanwhile, Iran said it was investigating Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, while Hamas accused Israel of it and called the elimination of its leader a "serious escalation."

In addition, Austin said that if a broader conflict in the Middle East does break out, the United States will continue to help Israel defend itself against attack, but de-escalation will remain a priority for Washington.

"We will certainly help defend Israel. You saw what we did in April. You can expect us to do it again. We do not want anything like that to happen. We're going to work hard to make sure that we do everything we can to help reduce tensions and solve problems through diplomatic meetings," the Pentagon chief emphasized.

As a reminder, the night of July 31 brought two pieces of news from the Middle East. According to the IDF, an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, killed a Hezbollah commander, and in Tehran, Iran, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was called "Israel's main enemy," was killed after the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected Iranian president.

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