Do not get involved in Israel crisis, top US general warns Iran
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Asked what his message for Iran was, General Charles Brown Jr, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “Not to get involved”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT – The United States’ top general on Monday warned Iran not to get involved in the crisis in Israel
The White House earlier on Monday said that Iran was complicit even though the US has no intelligence or evidence that points to Iran's direct participation in attacks in Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Asked what his message for Iran was, General Charles Brown Jr said: “Not to get involved”.
Israeli shelling on Lebanon killed at least three Hezbollah militants on Monday, and Israel said one of its officers was killed during an earlier cross-border raid claimed by Palestinians in Lebanon.
The cross-border violence marked a significant expansion of a conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza to the Israeli-Lebanese border further north.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel fought a brutal month-long war in 2006.
“We want to send a pretty strong message. We do not want this to broaden, and the idea is for Iran to get that message loud and clear,” Gen Brown told a small group of reporters travelling with him to Brussels, in his first public comments since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff On Oct 1.
The US military is “surging” fresh supplies of air defences, munitions and other security assistance
On Sunday, the Pentagon announced that it was sending an aircraft carrier strike group closer to Israel.
“It sends a very strong message of support for Israel. But it is also to send a strong message of deterrence to contain broadening this particular conflict,” Gen Brown said.
He compared Hamas’ actions with to those of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants.
Gen Brown has been the deputy commander of US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, and oversaw coalition air operations against ISIS. REUTERS
