Baghdad The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, began on Sunday from Jordan a tour of the Middle East that would lead him to both Israel and Egypt.
The visit aims to show US support for its main allies in the region in the face of the growing threat posed by Iran, according to Reuters.
Austin wrote on Twitter before leaving that he would meet with senior officials, and “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to regional stability and develop the common interests of our allies and partners.
Prior to the visit, the Pentagon said the discussions would focus on the growing threat posed by Iran to regional stability, and on strengthening multilateral security cooperation with integrated air and missile defense systems.
The Ministry’s official website quoted a senior defense official as saying that the focus of discussion would be “the entire range of threats related to Iran.
The official added, “These threats include Iran’s arming, training, and funding of violent groups acting as its proxy, aggressive operations at sea, electronic threats, its ballistic missile program, and drone attacks.”
US officials said that during his visit to Israel, Austin would express his concerns about the escalation of violence in the West Bank, which has alarmed Jordan and Arab leaders.
It will also discuss, according to them, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions ahead of religious holidays among Muslims and Jews./ End
Source: National Iraqi News Agency