U.S. President Joe Biden early on Sunday morning for the first time referred to the massive attack by Iran – which launched a barrage of more than 300 missiles and drones on Israel – and said that the United States military helped shoot down nearly all of the launches.
Early in the morning (Sunday) for the first time, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, referred to the unusual attack by Iran , which launched a barrage of more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel - and said that his country helped shoot down almost all of the launches.
"Earlier today, Iran and its proxies operating from Yemen, Syria and Iraq launched an unprecedented air attack against military installations in Israel. I condemn these attacks in any form," Biden said.
"At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week," Biden said in a statement. "Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles."
The president said he will convene G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response.
Two Israeli officials told the New York Times that Iran launched 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles and 110 surface-to-surface missiles as part of the unprecedented attack on Israel. According to the sources, "most of the launches were carried out from Iranian territory, while a small portion of them came from Iraq and Yemen." Besides the U.S, Britain and Jordan also helped Israel intercept the launches.
The president said he reiterated the ironclad U.S. support for Israel's security in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks, sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
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Benjamin Netanyahu on a call with US PresidentJoe Biden
(Photo: Spokesman, Prime Minister's Office)
The president added: "Tomorrow I will bring together my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a unified diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack. My team will communicate with their counterparts across the region, and we will maintain close contact with Israel's leaders. Although we have not seen any attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and we will not hesitate to take all necessary actions to protect our people."
The news site AXIOS reported, from a source in the White House, that during the conversation Biden told Netanyahu that the US would oppose any retaliatory attack against Iran and would not take part in it.
At the same time, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin referred to the Iranian attack against Israel, and called on Tehran to "reduce tensions." According to him, "the U.S. is not interested in a war with Iran. We condemn the attack it carried out with its proxies, and we will not hesitate to act to protect our forces and to support Israel's security."
Apart from the diplomatic response that Biden will try to promote, senior American officials told the NBC network that they fear that Israel will react to Iran rashly and quickly, without thinking about the consequences that follow. Among other things, NBC reported, these concerns stem from the administration's view of the approach taken by Israel in its war with Hamas - and also from its decision to eliminate senior Quds Force officer Hassan Mahdawi, also known as Mohammed Reza Zahedi, in Damascus, an attack that led to the Iranian attack tonight.
Three sources familiar with the details told NBC that Biden has expressed concern that Netanyahu is "trying to drag the United States deeper into a wider conflict." In addition, it was noted that, although the White House believes that the Israelis are not looking for a wider war or a direct war with Iran, "given the resources they have in the war in Gaza," the US still cannot be sure how Israel will act. In the shadow of these concerns, an Israeli official who spoke to the New York Times said that Israel will coordinate its response to the Iranian attack together with its allies.
In closed conversations, American officials express frustration at Israel's initial decision to target the senior Quds Force official, and said that Israel's leaders did not think about the timing and consequences of the attack, including how it might affect the negotiations for the release of hostages. "I don't think Israel had a strategy." A senior administration official said, "The Israelis don't always make the best strategic decisions."
Rockets intercepted over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
The Pentagon also expressed frustration with the timing of the attack in Damascus, as it had the potential to lead to a "catastrophic escalation." A Pentagon official described Israel's approach to military operations as a "mansion of madness." According to him, "there is this urgency to act, and this is what happened in Damascus." He pointed out that the Americans express similar frustration with the way Israel is acting in Gaza as well.
Before speaking with Netanyahu, Biden posted a photo on the X network from the assessment of the situation being carried out at the White House, in which he is seen alongside senior members of the administration and the U.S. military. "We have an ironclad commitment to Israel's security against the threats from Iran and its proxies," he emphasized.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke overnight with U.S. Defense Secretary General Lloyd Austin. CNN reported that Austin asked Gallant to update the U.S. before any possible Israeli response.