CNN: US directly told Iran it doesn’t seek escalation in region

The US has “undertaken additional measures to communicate directly with Iran” that Washington is not seeking to escalate the conflict in the Middle East, according to a high-ranking Pentagon official, Report informs referring to CNN.

This happened after the Pentagon announced an airstrike on a weapons depot in Syria, which, according to the department, was used by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The US said it was in response to almost daily attacks by Iran-backed groups on US troops in the region.

“In light of heightened tensions stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, we have undertaken additional measures to communicate directly with Iran, Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and our regional partners,” the defense official said. “We aim to clarify that our military actions do not signal a change in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and we have no intentions of escalating conflict in the region. Our commitment to self-defense and the protection of US personnel remains the same.”

The Pentagon spokesman also said the US deployed additional Patriot batteries to its bases in the Middle East in response to attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria.