Washington will help protect Israel if it comes under attack. At the same time, the US is working to reduce tensions in the region following the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, says US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. During a press conference in the Philippines, Austin said that de-escalation of tensions remains a priority. “We don’t want to see any of that happen. We’re going to work hard to make sure that we’re doing things to help take the temperature down and address issues through diplomatic gatherings,” he said. Austin stated that he does not consider a large-scale…