‘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.