US not expecting surge in attacks on troops in Iraq, Syria, defense secretary says

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite a spike in tensions in the Middle East, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday he did not currently expect Iran-backed militias to step up attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, as they have in the past.

The United States on Tuesday carried out a strike in Iraq that U.S. officials described as self-defense, one of a series of high-profile attacks in the region over the past day that also included an Israeli airstrike in Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday morning.

"I think, quite frankly, I don't see a return to where we were several months ago, not yet," Austin told reporters as he departed the Philippines.

Between Oct. 7 and February, U.S. troops were attacked over 160 times in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, usually with a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones, prompting the United States to mount several retaliatory attacks.

The deadliest attack was in late January, when an Iranian-made drone killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded dozens more in Jordan.

Since then, there had been a lull in attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. But last week, multiple rockets were launched toward Iraq's Ain al-Asad airbase housing U.S.-led forces, U.S. and Iraqi sources said. U.S. officials said none had hit the base, and no damage or casualties were reported.

"The safety and protection of our troops is really, really important to me. That's why, you know, you saw us take some measures to protect ourselves here," Austin added.

Asked if the recent attacks on U.S. forces were connected to rising tensions between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel, Austin said: "I think it's all connected."

Haniyeh's assassination drew threats of revenge on Israel and fueled further concern that the conflict in Gaza could be turning into a wider Middle East war.

Although the attack was widely assumed to have been carried out by Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said merely that Israel had delivered crushing blows to Iran's proxies over the past few days.

Asked about the killing, Austin said he had heard the reports but did not have any information to provide.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Kevin Liffey)