Austin says Middle East war not inevitable, seeks to ‘take the temperature down’

SUBIC (Reuters): US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday he did not think a wider war in the Middle East was inevitable and the United States was seeking to cool rising tensions in the region.

“I don’t think war is inevitable. I maintain that. I think there’s always room and opportunities for diplomacy,” Austin told reporters during a visit to the Philippines.

His remarks come after Israel claimed on Tuesday to have killed the Hezbollah commander who it said was behind a deadly strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Asked also if he could confirm information about another strike that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on Wednesday, Austin said: “I don’t have any additional information to provide.”

Palestinian militant group Hamas said the strike was a “severe escalation” that would not achieve its goals.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh, hours after he attended a swearing in ceremony for the country’s new president, and said it was investigating.

Asked what assistance the United States would provide if a wider conflict should break out in the Middle East, Austin said Washington would continue to help defend Israel if it were attacked, but the priority was de-escalating tensions.

“We don’t want to see any of that happen. We’re going to work hard to make sure that we’re doing things to help take the temperature down and address issues through diplomatic gatherings,” he said.