According to a report from The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was seething with anger due to Israel’s decision to eliminate the head of Hezbollah in late September without prior notification to the United States.
On September 28, Israeli military conducted extensive airstrikes on a location believed to be the hideout of Hassan Nasrallah, the ex-leader of Hezbollah, leading to the destruction of the site and the death of the group’s leader. This action was taken without the prior knowledge of the Biden-Harris administration, catching U.S. officials off guard and deeply infuriating Austin, as per insiders who spoke to the WSJ.
“Excuse me, what did you say?” was Austin’s response to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a phone call in September upon learning of Nasrallah’s death, as reported by U.S. officials familiar with the exchange to the WSJ. In a follow-up call the same day, Austin questioned Gallant on whether Israel was prepared to face its defense challenges “alone,” hinting at the displeasure of the Biden-Harris administration over being kept in the dark about the operation against Nasrallah.
Austin’s frustration stemmed from his belief that Israel hadn’t allotted sufficient time for the U.S. to strategically position its forces in the Middle East in anticipation of potential retaliatory attacks from Iran or other terrorist organizations, as per U.S. officials.
Gallant had scheduled a visit to the U.S. to discuss matters with Austin on a Wednesday, but the visit was unexpectedly postponed. The Pentagon, when queried about the delay, suggested it was a matter for the Israeli side to explain.
The dynamic between the Biden-Harris administration and Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appears to have become tense, especially since Hamas’s incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited a regional conflict. The U.S. administration has been vocal in urging Israel to scale back its military actions against terror groups across the region—a call that has gone unheeded. Furthermore, the administration’s push for a ceasefire has also not been realized.
Complicating the relationship further is Israel’s history of carrying out operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran without prior notification to the Biden-Harris administration, including the assassination of Nasrallah.
The anticipated meeting between Austin and Gallant on Wednesday was seen as an opportunity for U.S. officials to gain insight into Israel’s strategic intentions, though the postponement means such discussions are on hold. Following Iran’s launch of approximately 180 missiles at Israel last week—a majority of which were intercepted—the expectation is for Israel to respond against Iran.
“There are certain things they can’t discuss on the phone,” an Israeli official remarked to the WSJ, highlighting the limitations of diplomatic communications.
The ongoing conflict poses unanswered questions regarding the interactions between Israel and terror groups in the region, as well as the safety of U.S. forces stationed there. A dialogue between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu is slated for a phone call on Wednesday, as per the WSJ.
