President Joe Biden‘s newly-installed military leader issued a warning on Monday to Iran as Israel goes to war against Hamas after the militant group conducted a deadly raid from Gaza over the weekend.
Asked what his message is to Iran, Gen. CQ Brown, who was confirmed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a little more than two weeks ago, said, “Not to get involved,” according to a small group of reporters who spoke to him on a flight to Brussels and relayed parts of their conversation on X.
The Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe noted Brown referred to the deployment of a carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean and additional fighter jets to the region.
#USSGeraldRFord Sailors are prepared and ready for anything, at any time. #ProudToServe #AlwaysReady
@usnavyeuropeafrica @usnavy pic.twitter.com/qMDtMp5PXk— USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) (@Warship_78) October 9, 2023
“We wanted to send a pretty strong message that we don’t want this to broaden, and the idea is for Iran to get that message loud and clear,” Brown explained.
The Biden administration concedes Iran has long provided assistance to Hamas, but so far has publicly pushed back on claims that Iran helped plot the attack on Israel.
“Of course, Iran has long supported Hamas and other terrorist networks throughout the region with resources, capabilities training,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on MSNBC. “And so in that regard, clearly, Iran is complicit here. But in terms of specific evidence on this, on these sets of attacks — no, we don’t have anything.”
Although Hamas has said the attack on Israel was backed by Iran and Iranian officials have praised the group for the incursion, Iran’s mission to the United Nations insisted to CNN that Tehran was not involved.
The conflict may expand as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, another Iran-backed group, has reportedly traded fire with Israel.
The violence in Israel on Saturday, which Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro said was “worst day for Jews since the Holocaust,” came as the Biden administration grappled with a brewing controversy over U.S. diplomats getting mixed up with an Iranian influence network.
President Joe Biden has pledged U.S. support for Israel after the attack by Hamas that he said on Monday claimed the lives of at least 11 Americans and likely resulted in other U.S. citizens being taken hostage.
In addition to announcing a warship deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. government would also be “rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions.”
Brown replaced now-retired Gen. Mark Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at a time when the U.S. is backing Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion and amid rising tensions with China, among other issues. He reportedly explained the Pentagon’s broad strategy requires balancing multiple challenges. And, he emphasized, “No one says we’re going to do one challenge at a time.”
Lamothe said he asked Brown if the message to allies and partners supporting Ukraine changes as the United States and others also support Israel in the new conflict, to which the general replied there will be “some conversation along those lines.”
Brown reportedly noted how the U.S. and other countries “all take risk” when considering their weapons stocks, but stressed there is also “risk in inaction.”