Defense Secretary Austin Warns Iran to End Attacks On US Forces Or Else: ‘If This Doesn’t Stop, Then We Will Respond’

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned Iran Tuesday during a Senate hearing that if they continue to attack the US military in the region, the US will respond.

Austin joined Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for a Senate hearing regarding President Joe Biden’s $105 billion supplemental aid request for Israel, Ukraine, and other national security matters.

Republican Senator and Committee Vice Chair Susan Collins asked about the New York Times reporting over the weekend that “Iranian-backed terrorists continue to attack U.S. forces in the region.”

Austin made clear that “if this doesn’t stop, then we will respond.” Read the full exchange below:

COLLINS: Secretary Austin, as you indicated in your opening remarks, Iranian backed terrorist proxy groups in the region have launched numerous drone and rocket attacks against our forces, U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. According to press reports, there have been at least 20 such attacks and 19 U.S. service members have been wounded. It’s imperative that Iran and its proxy groups understand that they cannot attack American forces with impunity. I know that last week, President Biden ordered two U.S. strikes against facilities in Syria used by Iranian proxies to threaten our troops. But The New York Times has reported over the weekend that Iranian backed terrorists continue to attack U.S. forces in the region even after these airstrikes, since these U.S. airstrikes apparently have not been sufficient to deter additional attacks on our troops by Iranian backed proxies. What else is the department doing to stop attacks against American troops?

AUSTIN: Thanks. Sure. First of all, let me emphasize that the protection, the safety of our troops and our civilians is of utmost importance to me and of utmost importance to the president as well. We’ve taken a number of steps to make sure that we increase our force protection posture. We’ve deployed a number of assets into the region as as well. We’ve been clear. The president’s been clear and I have been clear right here, that if that if this doesn’t stop, then we will respond. And so we remain we maintain the right to respond. We have the capability to do that. And we will respond at a time and place of our choosing.

Watch above via CSPAN3.