Iran's airborne attack against Israel was successfully defeated, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.
"We began seeing the exceptional skill and professionalism of our forces after Iran's unprecedented and reckless assault on Israel.
"Alongside Israel and our allies, we had enormous success in defeating Iran's attack," Austin testified, along with chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee about the Pentagon's budget for fiscal year 2025.
The US will continue to stand ready to protect its troops in the region and to support the defense of Israel from attacks from Iran or its proxies, Austin said, reiterating that the US commitment to Israel's security is "ironclad."
"And let me be clear, while we've not seen renewed attacks on US forces or facilities, as President (Joe) Biden has said, we will not hesitate to take all necessary actions to protect our people," he added.
Iran launched an airborne attack Saturday on Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital. It reportedly fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies -- the US, France and the UK.
Austin said what Iran should learn is that not only Israel has the ability to defend itself against "significant" challenges, but its allies, principally the US, have "significant" capabilities as well.
