US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke twice with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on the day of the Israeli attack on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his department said in a statement on Saturday. In the phone calls on Friday, Austin assured Israel of Washington’s full support in its fight against Iranian-backed terrorist groups, the Pentagon said. He also made it clear that the United States was determined to prevent Iran and its associated groups from “exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict.” He said that they were capable of protecting US troops in the region and re…