U.S. Defense Secretary: We intercepted missiles fired by Iran; we have no doubts in supporting Israel

The U.S. Secretary of Defense stated in a statement regarding the Islamic Republic's missile attacks on Israel that American forces in the Middle East intercepted several missiles launched by Iran. Lloyd Austin emphasized that "the United States will never hesitate in protecting its forces and interests in the Middle East and supporting Israel and other regional partners," describing the Iranian government's actions as "hostile and unacceptable." He urged Tehran to immediately cease all attacks, including those related to its "terrorist proxy forces," adding, "Our forces in the region are prepared to defend American personnel and our allies in the Middle East and, while supporting Israel, to prevent the escalation of conflict and tensions." The U.S. Secretary of Defense noted that he is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to consult and take necessary actions in full coordination with allies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for launching approximately two hundred missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, October 1st, stating that this was the "first wave of ballistic and hypersonic missile attacks by the IRGC." However, shortly after, arms experts speaking with CNN stated that based on verified assessments of the recent missile attack on Israel, the Islamic Republic's claims regarding the use of the hypersonic missile "Fattah 1" in the attack are questionable, and the IRGC primarily used various types of ballistic missiles from the "Shahab-3" series in these attacks.