WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered two American carrier strike groups to remain in the Middle East on Sunday after intense cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah overnight.

The decision was detailed in a Pentagon readout of Austin's call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

During the conversation, Austin discussed "Israeli actions to defend against attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah" and reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself.

He also emphasized the United States' "ironclad resolve" to support Israel’s defense against threats from Iran and its regional partners and proxies, according to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

"As part of that support, the Secretary has ordered the presence of two Carrier Strike Groups to remain in the region.

The Secretary also expressed support for completing negotiations on a cease-fire and hostage-release deal," Ryder said in a statement. He used a variant spelling for "Hezbollah."

The U.S. had previously acknowledged the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Groups to the region.

On Sunday, Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones deep into Israel overnight Saturday as part of the “first phase” of its response to Tel Aviv's assassination of senior commander Fouad Shukr late last month.

This announcement came shortly after the Israeli army carried out large-scale airstrikes in southern Lebanon, claiming the strikes were aimed at preventing Hezbollah from launching an attack. — Agencies