٠٠:٠٤:١٤US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin warned nations in the Middle East to 'make no mistake' because Washington 'will not tolerate attacks' on US military personnel in the region following an attack on Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, during a US-Australia joint meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection and to reinforce our ironclad commitment to the defence of Israel, and to remain prepared to respond to any contingency," he stated, after confirming that US service members were injured in Monday's rocket attack which at the time Washington blamed on a group aligned to Iran.
Answering a journalist's question about the possibility of attacks linked to Iran, Austin declared that he 'won't speculate on any specific action by Iran or any other Iran-backed group' and that his focus is on protecting US troops and securing the defence of Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised that it is currently a 'decisive moment' in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which 'have reached their final stage' and should pass 'the finish line', 'very, very soon'.
He stated that aside from bringing the hostages home and building a 'more enduring peace for Gaza', the ceasefire will also create "other prospects more broadly in terms of de-escalating tensions and bringing real security and stability."
Blinken also underscored the vital role of new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the peace talks, noting that "he has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding a ceasefire," which 'manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur were killed in Beirut and Tehran on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Hamas political leader Haniyeh, who was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority 2006-2014. Hamas announced on Tuesday that it has named the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, as its new leader.
Regarding the crisis in Bangladesh, the US Secretary of State urged that: "Any decisions that the interim government makes need to respect democratic principles, need to uphold the rule of law, need to reflect the will of the people."
Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of parliament and the formation of a national government to facilitate fresh elections following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, which ended her 15-year term.
It comes after weeks of escalating violence across the country amid student protests over a quota system reserving 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.
The protests resulted in at least 200 deaths, sparking a broader campaign demanding Hasina's resignation and justice for those killed. Hasina resigned on Monday and has since fled to India.
The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also remarked on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that Washington continues "to work with likeminded partners in the region to ensure that we’re doing things to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific".
'Make no mistake' - DefSec Austin warns US 'will not tolerate attacks' on personnel in Middle East after Al-Asad airbase attack
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin warned nations in the Middle East to 'make no mistake' because Washington 'will not tolerate attacks' on US military personnel in the region following an attack on Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, during a US-Australia joint meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection and to reinforce our ironclad commitment to the defence of Israel, and to remain prepared to respond to any contingency," he stated, after confirming that US service members were injured in Monday's rocket attack which at the time Washington blamed on a group aligned to Iran.
Answering a journalist's question about the possibility of attacks linked to Iran, Austin declared that he 'won't speculate on any specific action by Iran or any other Iran-backed group' and that his focus is on protecting US troops and securing the defence of Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised that it is currently a 'decisive moment' in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which 'have reached their final stage' and should pass 'the finish line', 'very, very soon'.
He stated that aside from bringing the hostages home and building a 'more enduring peace for Gaza', the ceasefire will also create "other prospects more broadly in terms of de-escalating tensions and bringing real security and stability."
Blinken also underscored the vital role of new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the peace talks, noting that "he has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding a ceasefire," which 'manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur were killed in Beirut and Tehran on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Hamas political leader Haniyeh, who was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority 2006-2014. Hamas announced on Tuesday that it has named the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, as its new leader.
Regarding the crisis in Bangladesh, the US Secretary of State urged that: "Any decisions that the interim government makes need to respect democratic principles, need to uphold the rule of law, need to reflect the will of the people."
Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of parliament and the formation of a national government to facilitate fresh elections following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, which ended her 15-year term.
It comes after weeks of escalating violence across the country amid student protests over a quota system reserving 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.
The protests resulted in at least 200 deaths, sparking a broader campaign demanding Hasina's resignation and justice for those killed. Hasina resigned on Monday and has since fled to India.
The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also remarked on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that Washington continues "to work with likeminded partners in the region to ensure that we’re doing things to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific".
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin warned nations in the Middle East to 'make no mistake' because Washington 'will not tolerate attacks' on US military personnel in the region following an attack on Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, during a US-Australia joint meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday.
"We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection and to reinforce our ironclad commitment to the defence of Israel, and to remain prepared to respond to any contingency," he stated, after confirming that US service members were injured in Monday's rocket attack which at the time Washington blamed on a group aligned to Iran.
Answering a journalist's question about the possibility of attacks linked to Iran, Austin declared that he 'won't speculate on any specific action by Iran or any other Iran-backed group' and that his focus is on protecting US troops and securing the defence of Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised that it is currently a 'decisive moment' in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which 'have reached their final stage' and should pass 'the finish line', 'very, very soon'.
He stated that aside from bringing the hostages home and building a 'more enduring peace for Gaza', the ceasefire will also create "other prospects more broadly in terms of de-escalating tensions and bringing real security and stability."
Blinken also underscored the vital role of new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the peace talks, noting that "he has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding a ceasefire," which 'manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need'.
Tensions have escalated sharply in the Middle East after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur were killed in Beirut and Tehran on July 31. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised Israel would receive a 'harsh punishment' over the death of Hamas political leader Haniyeh, who was a key figure in ongoing talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Haniyeh joined Hamas when it was founded in 1987 and became Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority 2006-2014. Hamas announced on Tuesday that it has named the group's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, as its new leader.
Regarding the crisis in Bangladesh, the US Secretary of State urged that: "Any decisions that the interim government makes need to respect democratic principles, need to uphold the rule of law, need to reflect the will of the people."
Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of parliament and the formation of a national government to facilitate fresh elections following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation, which ended her 15-year term.
It comes after weeks of escalating violence across the country amid student protests over a quota system reserving 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.
The protests resulted in at least 200 deaths, sparking a broader campaign demanding Hasina's resignation and justice for those killed. Hasina resigned on Monday and has since fled to India.
The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also remarked on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that Washington continues "to work with likeminded partners in the region to ensure that we’re doing things to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific".