Pence: U.S. supports Israel's right to defend itself
Writing on Twitter, vice president says he had 'great conversation' with Netanyahu, and that the 'United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself from imminent threats... America will always stand with Israel'
Israel said it conducted an air strike on Sunday against an arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Syria and on Thursday Netanyahu hinted at possible Israeli involvement in a series of blasts in the past few weeks in Iraq.
"Had a great conversation with Prime Minister @netanyahu this morning. The United States fully supports Israel's right to defend itself from imminent threats. Under President @realDonaldTrump, America will always stand with Israel!" Pence wrote on Twitter, without specifying the imminent threats.
Had a great conversation with Prime Minister @netanyahu this morning. The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself from imminent threats. Under President @realDonaldTrump, America will always stand with Israel!
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) August 26, 2019
Lebanon has also accused Israel of sending two drones that crashedin Beirut on Sunday morning, causing damage to a communications center operated by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday said his country had a right to defend itself after alleged the Israeli drone strikes that were akin to a "declaration of war." His comments came as a powerful bloc in the Iraqi coalition government made a similar statement.
"What happened was similar to a declaration of war which allows us to resort to our right to defending our sovereignty," Aoun's office quoted him as saying on Twitter.
Two drones crashed early on Sunday in Beirut's southern suburbs, which are dominated by Hezbollah, prompting the Iran-backed movement to blame Israel and warn Israeli soldiers at the border to await a response.
Meanwhile, the Fatah Coalition in Iraq's parliament called Monday for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, following the airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in the country.
The Iraqi bloc, which represents Iran-backed Shi'ite paramilitary militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, said it holds the United States fully responsible for the alleged Israeli aggression, "which we consider to be a declaration of war on Iraq and its people."
The coalition's statement came a day after a drone strike in the western Iraqi town of Qaim killed a commander with the forces -- the latest in strikes apparently conducted by Israel against the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. It added that U.S. troops are no longer needed in Iraq.
