Pentagon: 'No Change to US Posture' in ME after Lebanon Explosions

"There's been no change to US force posture," Anadolu Agency reported, citing Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder's remarks on Tuesday.

His remarks came after at least nine people were killed and 2,750 wounded in simultaneous detonations of pagers in Lebanon on Tuesday. The Zionist regime of Israel has been blamed for the aggression, for which Hezbollah Resistance movement has vowed a fair punishment. 

He said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, without giving further information on whether they held a phone call before or after the attack.

"As far as escalation, broadly speaking, in the Middle East. I mean, this is something that we've been paying attention to for more than almost a year now, since the beginning of the war on October 7," Ryder said, adding Austin has been "very focused" on ensuring that the tensions in the region do not escalate into a wider regional conflict.

"We strongly believe that the best way to reduce the tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border is through diplomacy, and that will continue to be our focus," he stressed.