Austin reaffirmed the "ironclad commitment" of the US to Israel’s security and right to self-defense in a telephone call, spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement, Anadolu Agency reported.
Austin "emphasized the enhanced force posture of the United States to defend US personnel, Israel, and partners across the region in the face of threats from Iran and terrorist organizations and the US determination to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict in the region," Ryder added.
Despite the previous warnings of the officials of the Islamic Republic to the illegal Zionist regime to avoid any adventurous actions, the Tel Aviv regime attacked several military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam on Saturday morning in a tension-causing action, it said.
Saying that the Israeli regime's attack was successfully countered by the country's integrated air defense system, Iran's air defense force added that the Zionists' aggressive action caused limited damage to several sites.
SD/