Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin discloses cancer battle, apologizes for concealing diagnosis

On Thursday, during the conference, Austin also commented on the situation in the Middle East, declaring that while the U.S. has no plans to withdraw troops from Syria, there is a possibility for their withdrawal from Iraq.

Throughout his address, Austin repeatedly apologized for not disclosing his prostate cancer diagnosis sooner. He emphasized that there are no excuses that could justify his actions.

"The news hit me hard... It was a blow and, honestly, my first impulse was to maintain privacy," Austin explained. "I've learned from this experience that taking on this type of role involves sacrificing some privacy. Americans have the right to know when their leaders are navigating health issues that might affect their abilities to perform their duties, even temporarily," he added.

Austin conceded that he apologized to the president for his actions. He explained that he didn't inform him about his illness as he didn't want to burden him with his issues. At the same time, he denied ever suggesting to his subordinates that they should withhold information about their health situations. Despite his error, Austin emphasized that he still retains the full trust of the president and has no plans to resign, despite the calls from some congress members.

The Secretary of Defense returned to work at the Pentagon this week after nearly a two-week stay in the hospital in early January. This was a result of an infection he contracted following prostate cancer surgery in December. Austin didn't publicly disclose his cancer diagnosis, only informing about his hospital stay and care in the intensive care unit after three days of absence. He admitted he's still recovering from the disease and contending with leg pain.

During the conference, Austin also addressed queries about the situation in the Middle East after a pro-Iranian militia attack killed three American soldiers in Jordan. The Pentagon chief announced that the U.S. response to this attack would be "multilevel", aimed at "holding the perpetrators accountable" and reducing their capability for further attacks.

Iran-supported militias in Syria and Iraq have executed more than 160 attacks using drones and rockets since October. However, until Sunday, these had not resulted in any severe injuries or losses. Austin noted that the extent of Iran's involvement in these attacks is still unclear, but added that it was not particularly significant, as these attacks would not have happened without Iran's support.

Commenting on reports of a possible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, Austin dismissed this scenario as a consideration by the administration. Concurrently, he confirmed plans to discuss with Iraqi authorities about the continued presence of U.S. troops in the region. The U.S. forces in the region are carrying out a mission against the Islamic State. However, the pro-Iranian faction in the Iraqi government has been advocating for the expulsion of U.S. forces after the killing of one of their pro-Iranian militia commanders, part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which are formally under Iraqi control.

"Discussions are ongoing with Iraqi leaders about our future presence in Iraq," Austin acknowledged. "We'll see how it goes," he followed up.