Iran’s attack on the Jewish state and Israel’s forthcoming response were among the topics that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed in a meeting in Tel Aviv on Tuesday afternoon.
“In their discussion about Iranian aggression and its terrorist activities via proxies spread across the Middle East, the minister highlighted the importance of the U.S. standing with Israel following Israel’s attack on Iran,” according to an Israeli readout of the meeting. “This will strengthen regional deterrence and weaken the ‘axis of evil.’”
Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesman, said the two officials “discussed ongoing efforts to deter further regional aggression from Iran and its proxies,” and that Blinken “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including in response to Iran’s unprecedented ballistic missile attack.”
The two officials also talked about securing the release of the hostages in Gaza and ending the conflict in the Strip “in a way that provides lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” according to Miller.
Blinken reiterated the urgency “to increase the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza to address severe food insecurity and meet basic needs,” he added, and “emphasized the United States’ support for a diplomatic solution to the conflict across the Blue Line that fully implements U.N. Security Resolution 1701.”
According to the Israeli readout of the meeting, Gallant and Blinken, joined by their staffs, also addressed the progress that the Israel Defense Forces have made in the various arenas. Gallant emphasized “the obligation to ensure the return of hostages still held in Gaza and to promote the replacement of Hamas as a governing authority, by other regional and local entities.”
Gallant also told Blinken about “the progress made in Israel’s mission to destroy Hezbollah’s attack infrastructure in the border region.”
He added that “Israel will continue striking the terrorist organization’s infrastructure even once the targeted operations are complete.”
That will continue “systematically,” the Israeli minister told Blinken, “until it is possible to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes and the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from Southern Lebanon,” per the Israeli readout.
Israel is expected to retaliate against Iran after the Islamic Republic attacked the Jewish state with as many as 200 ballistic missiles on Oct. 1.
