Officials have insisted that the US remain in a “defensive” posture in the Middle East after President Donald Trump announced that he would leave the G7 summit in Canada to fight the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Trump’s change in the plans lit the assumptions that the US could prepare to join Israel as a result of attacks on Iran, but top officials denied any quick shift.
“US forces retain their defensive posture, and this has not changed,” wrote the chief deputy director of communications Alex Pfeifer, denying the report that the United States participated in the strike against Iran.
On Monday night, Pete Hegset, the US Secretary of Defense, said at Fox News: “We are in defense in the region to be strong in reaching a peaceful deal, and we definitely hope it happens here.”
