US leaders call for calm in the Middle East, even as more American forces head to the region

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling for calm in the Middle East, top U.S. national security leaders said Tuesday that they and allies are directly pressing Israel, Iran and others to avoid escalating the conflict, even as the U.S. moved more troops to the region and threatened retaliation if American forces are attacked.

“It’s urgent that everyone in the region take stock of the situation, understand the risk of miscalculation, and make decisions that will calm tensions, not exacerbate them,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the close of a meeting with Australian leaders.

At the same time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted the attack Monday on U.S. forces in Iraq by an Iranian-backed militia group, which injured seven personnel, and made it clear that the U.S. won't hesitate to respond.

“Make no mistake, the United States will not tolerate attacks on our personnel in the region,” Austin told reporters at a press conference after the meeting. “And we remain ready to deploy on short notice to meet the evolving threats to our security, our partners or our interests.”

He said an “Iranian-backed Shia militia group” conducted the attack, but officials are still trying to determine which one.

Blinken and Austin met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss efforts to expand military cooperation and broaden diplomatic efforts in the Asia Pacific.

But they led their remarks with calls for de-escalation and support for a cease-fire. “Australia also underlines the risks to all in the region of escalation and of miscalculation,” said Wong, calling this a “decisive moment” for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Their comments came as Hamas named Yahya Sinwar — a...