Senior Defense Official Holds an Off-Camera, On-Background Press Briefing Ahead of Secretary of Defense Travel to the Middle East Region

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for making time for this on a Friday. As you all have heard, Secretary Austin takes off for a three-country trip to the region next week with stops in Jordan, Egypt, and Israel. Let me start out broad with some of the key themes of the trip, speak about some of the developments that we will be discussing with our partners throughout the trip, and then I'll make a few comments on the three partners that we are visiting next week. First of all, Secretary Austin will convey enduring U.S. commitment to the Middle East and provide reassurance to our partners that the United States remains committed to supporting their defense and incre...