Highest US general makes surprise visit to Middle East amid renewed reports of Hezbollah assault in coming days

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant and US State Secretary Austin hold joint situation assessment

Read this article in:

The most senior general in the U.S. armed forces, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, arrived in the Middle East on Saturday for a surprise visit to “deter any type of broader escalation,” as he told Reuters.

“The Chairman will visit key allies and partners in the region, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, as a display of the long-term U.S. commitment to the Middle East and to further his understanding of the various perspectives of ongoing tensions,” Brown’s office stated.

On Saturday evening, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the reason for the surprising visit was the growing belief among Israel’s security establishment that Hezbollah may, in the coming days, carry out its long-awaited response to the killing of its military chief some three weeks ago.

After Israeli forces eliminated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, which Iran blamed on Israel, both swore revenge against Israel.

This has been delayed for several reasons, one of them reportedly being the desire to await the outcome of the current round of hostage deal talks between Israel and Hamas.

If the parties reached an agreement, it could “help bring down the temperature,” Brown told Reuters.

The U.S. has reinforced its troops in the region with several ships, an F-22 squadron and a submarine, and has also ordered the aircraft carrier strike group U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln to replace the Theodore Roosevelt strike group currently stationed here.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 8 as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies. pic.twitter.com/BuuzbUHu9s
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 8, 2024

“We brought in additional capability to send a strong message to deter a broader conflict… but also to protect our forces should they be attacked,” Brown said, stressing that defending American forces was “paramount.”

“We stay postured, watching the [intelligence] and force movements,” the general said, adding that he would discuss different scenarios with Israeli counterparts.

“Particularly, as I engage with my Israeli counterpart, how they might respond, depending on the response that comes from Hezbollah or from Iran,” Brown said.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, entered the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility.

The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and… pic.twitter.com/RKoJQshigR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 21, 2024

While high-ranking U.S. officers have visited Israel repeatedly during the war, including U.S. CENTCOM Chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, Brown hasn’t yet personally made a visit.

According to his office, Gen. Brown “has routinely engaged with allies and partners in the Middle East to include a recent phone call with the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces and hosting an official counterpart visit for the United Arab Emirates Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.”

“Gen. Brown will continue to stress the importance of deterring further escalation of hostilities, protecting U.S. forces in the region, U.S. support of Israel’s self-defense, and a coordinated effort in providing humanitarian assistance to the civilians.”

The surprise announcement of Gen. Brown’s visit came shortly after the latest in a series of regular phone calls between Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday.

Their “joint situation assessment” and discussion “focused primarily on joint preparation, as well as maintaining readiness and interoperability of Israeli and U.S. forces and capabilities in the face of ongoing threats posed by Iran and Hezbollah,” Gallant’s office said.

They also talked about the ongoing operations in Gaza, as well as the hostage release deal negotiations.

“Minister Gallant reiterated his steadfast commitment to achieving an agreement, and highlighted the critical timing as it relates to ensuring this framework,” his office stated.