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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (70) was hospitalized earlier this week due to complications following a medical procedure. The US Department of Defense announced this in Washington on Friday.
The Pentagon chief’s hospitalization came at a time of rising tensions in the Middle East. Austin was admitted to Walter Reed military hospital near Washington on the evening of January 1.
The reason was “complications resulting from a non-urgent medical procedure,” ministry spokesman Pat Ryder said. He did not provide information about the type of complications or the length of hospital stay.
“He is recovering well and should resume all his functions today (Friday),” the spokesperson said. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was prepared to act “at any time” and “exercise the Secretary’s prerogatives as necessary,” Ryder added. Whether this happened remained unclear.
A ministry spokesperson later told the AFP news agency that the deputy defense minister was “automatically authorized to take over the minister’s duties if he is unable to do so.” She “made routine decisions on his behalf this week.”
The war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas poses greater challenges for the US in the Middle East. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, while other groups in Iraq and Syria are attacking US forces with missiles and drones.
On Thursday, the United States killed the head of an armed pro-Iranian group in an airstrike in Baghdad, which Washington said was involved in attacks on American soldiers in Iraq.
“The president and the secretary had already authorized the operation in Iraq, the secretary was aware,” a Pentagon spokesman told AFP. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
