‘What did you say?’: Biden defense sec reportedly fumed over Israel’s sudden assassination of Hezbollah chief

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was reportedly furious after Israel assassinated the leader of Hezbollah in late September without telling the U.S. first, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Israeli forces on Sept. 28 launched a sweeping set of airstrikes on a compound where Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s former leader, was hiding, ultimately destroying the compound and killing the terrorist group’s chief. The Biden-Harris administration wasn’t informed about the plan to kill Nasrallah until after he had already been killed, which surprised U.S. officials and left Austin fuming, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke to the WSJ.

“Excuse me, what did you say?” Austin told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the phone in September after being told that Nasrallah had been killed, U.S. officials familiar with the conversation told the WSJ. In a second phone call that day, Austin asked Gallant if Israel was willing to be “alone” in defending itself, suggesting that the Biden-Harris administration was upset that it hadn’t been informed of the plan to kill Nasrallah.

Austin was angry because he felt Israel didn’t give enough time for the U.S. to position its assets in the Middle East region in the event of an Iranian or terror group counterattack, U.S. officials told the WSJ.

Gallant planned to travel to the U.S. for talks with Austin on Wednesday but postponed his trip. When asked why Gallant delayed the meeting, the Pentagon said yesterday that it was a question for the Israelis.

The relationship between the Biden-Harris administration and the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has seemingly grown fraught since last year, when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and sparked a regional war. The Biden-Harris administration has urged Israel to curtail its military operations against various terror networks throughout the region, which it hasn’t done; the administration has also pushed for a ceasefire in the region, which hasn’t happened either.

Making matters more strained is the fact that Israeli forces have conducted several operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran without first telling the Biden-Harris administration their plans in advance, as in the case of the assassination of Nasrallah.

U.S. officials were hoping to learn more about Israel’s plans during the meeting between Austin and Gallant on Wednesday, though that will have to wait given that the discussion has been delayed. Israel is expected to retaliate against Iran after Tehran launched roughly 180 missiles into Israel last week, most of which were intercepted by U.S. and Israeli forces.

“There are certain things they can’t discuss on the phone,” an Israeli official told the WSJ.

The question of what happens between Israel and various terror networks throughout the region — as well as the safety of U.S. troops in the region — is unanswered, as the ongoing conflict has shown no signs of stopping. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu are expected to speak over the phone on Wednesday, according to the WSJ.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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