According to the newspaper, Austin and Gallant discussed the deployment of American forces ahead of a presumed Iranian attack on Israel.
The already tense situation in the Middle East has escalated further after Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was killed last week in an attack in Iran where he was visiting. And this just hours after Hizbollah's chief of staff Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli attack on Lebanon.
It is still unclear how Iran will respond to the attack in which Haniya was killed. Over the past few days, rumors have spread that an Iranian attack could come on Monday, which has the world focusing on the troubled region.
Israel has not explicitly taken responsibility for the deed, but is accused by both Iran and terrorist-stamped Hamas for it.
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries express "deep concern" over the escalating situation in the Middle East, they write in a joint press release. They urge all parties involved to do everything they can to cool down the tensions.
Later in the day, US President Joe Biden will convene his security team to discuss "developments in the Middle East", reports The Guardian.
