The United States warned all parties in the Middle East against escalation on Thursday as tensions between Hezbollah and Israel remained high, saying Washington's priority is to find a diplomatic solution.
"We will continue to stand by Israel's right to defend itself, but we don't want to see any party escalate this conflict - period," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a regular briefing.
The Middle East is on edge after deadly attacks that blew up radios and pagers of Hezbollah members, killing 37 people, wounding around 3,000, and overwhelming Lebanese hospitals.
US Diplomacy has limits
While calling for calm, Miller acknowledged the limits of US diplomacy.
"We have been engaged in the region for some time, and of course, since October 7 we have been engaged to try to bring down tensions. But ultimately, yes, every country is responsible, and every entity is responsible for the actions that they take."
A source familiar with the matter said that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has postponed a trip to Israel that is planned for next week. Austin took to X/Twitter after the attacks to affirm the Department of Defense's position.
I spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday to review regional security developments and reiterate unwavering US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and Iran’s other regional partners. I emphasized the US commitment to…
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) September 19, 2024
Miller declined to comment on Austin's trip but said Washington will continue talks with Israel.
"I will say that we continue to engage with our Israeli counterparts on this. As publicly reported, Amos Hochstein was just in Israel on Monday, pressing the need for de-escalation, pressing the need for a diplomatic resolution," Miller said.
The White House special envoy visited Israel this week to discuss the crisis on the northern border.
Speaking in Paris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged restraint. "We believe a ceasefire remains possible and necessary," he said, adding he did not want to see any escalatory actions by any party that would make a Gaza ceasefire deal even more difficult.
Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the device explosions, which Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said "crossed all redlines" in an inflammatory speech on Thursday. He also called for Israel to invade Lebanon, saying that the country would view it as "a historic opportunity."
Security sources say the attacks were probably carried out by the Mossad. Israel has not directly commented on them.