Exclusive: Top US general says risk of wider war has receded slightly after Israel-Hezbollah exchange of fire

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT Aug 26 (Reuters) – The risk of a wider war in the Middle East in the near term has receded somewhat after Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanged fire without further escalation, but Iran remains a major threat and is considering a strike on Israel, the top U.S. military officer said on Monday.

Brown spoke to Reuters after returning from a three-day trip to the Middle East, during which he visited Israel just hours after Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel and the Israeli military struck Lebanon to thwart a larger attack. It was one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare, but it also ended with limited damage in Israel and no immediate threat of further retaliation from either side.

Brown noted that the Hezbollah attack was just one of two major attacks that Israel has threatened in recent weeks. Iran has also threatened to attack in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month.

Asked if the immediate risk of a regional war had receded, Brown said: “To some extent, yes.”

“You had two things that you knew were going to happen,” Brown said as he left Israel. “One of them did happen. Now it depends on how the second one develops.”

“How Iran responds will determine how Israel responds, which will determine whether there will be a wider conflict or not.”

Brown also warned that there is also a danger posed by Iran’s armed allies in places like Iraq, Syria and Jordan who have attacked US forces as well as the Houthis in Yemen who have targeted shipping in the Red Sea and even launched drones into Israel.

“And do these others actually go and do things on their own because they are not satisfied — the Houthis in particular,” Brown said, describing the Shiite group as “the wild card.”

Iran has vowed a harsh response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which occurred while he was visiting Tehran late last month and which Iran has blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Brown said the U.S. military is in a better position to help defend Israel and its forces in the Middle East than it was on April 13, when Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

However, Israel, the United States and other allies managed to destroy almost all of the weapons before they reached their targets.

“We’re in a better position,” Brown said, pointing to the decision Sunday to keep two aircraft carrier groups in the Middle East, as well as an additional squadron of F-22 fighter jets.

“We’re trying to improve on what we did in April.”

Whatever plans the Iranian military might come up with, the decision will be up to Iranian political leaders, Brown said.

“They want to do something that sends a message but they also, I think… don’t want to do something that would create a broader conflict.”

Struggling with the Gaza Consequences

The Biden administration is seeking to limit the fallout from the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, now in its 11th month. The conflict has devastated swaths of Gaza, sparked border clashes between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group, and drawn in the Houthis in Yemen.

On Monday, Brown traveled to the IDF’s Northern Command, where he was briefed on threats along Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria. In Tel Aviv, he met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

When asked about the military strength of the Lebanese Hezbollah, especially after the Israeli strikes, Brown warned that they “still have the capability.”

The current war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.

Since then, the Israeli military campaign has displaced nearly 2.3 million Palestinians in the Palestinian enclave from their homes, led to widespread hunger and deadly disease and the deaths of at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

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Phil Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, and South Sudan. An award-winning national security correspondent based in Washington, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News, and other programs and has moderated national security events, including the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence and the Joe Galloway Award.