In Israeli counter strike against Iran
Biden said he told Netanyahu that Israel had “demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks.“
According to US officials familiar with the situation, President Joe Biden and senior members of his national security team have informed their counterparts that the US will not take part in any offensive action against Iran in an effort to reduce the possibility of a wider regional conflict in response to a flurry of Iranian missiles and drones fired toward Israel.
Iran retaliated to what it believed to be an Israeli strike on its Syria consulate on April 1 by firing hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday night.
During a late-saturday chat with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden attempted to portray Israel’s successful rebuff of the Iranian assault as a significant win and to imply that more Israeli action was not required.
According to a senior administration source, Biden told the Israeli prime minister over the phone that he should view Saturday’s victory as a victory because Iran’s attacks had been mainly ineffective and showed Israel’s superior military power. As to a top US military official, the US determined that there was “no significant damage within Israel itself.” In Israeli counter strike against Iran
The ability to avert extensive damage, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, is evidence of Israel’s “military superiority” and shows that Iran is not the “military power that they claim to be.” In Israeli counter strike against Iran
Kirby told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” that “this was an incredible success, really proving Israel’s military superiority and, just as critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region, that they have friends around the world who are willing to help them.”
According to another US official, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requested that Minister Yoav Gallant, his Israeli counterpart, inform the United States in advance of any possible counterattack by Iran.
While American officials emphasized to their Israeli counterparts that Israel has the last say over how to respond to Iran, Biden has worked to keep the conflict from getting much worse. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
In order to explore a “united diplomatic response,” Biden met with the other leaders of the Group of Seven on Sunday. The focus of their discussions was on non-military measures that would reduce the likelihood of a larger war.
Following the virtual meeting, the G7 members issued a joint statement in which they denounced Iran’s “direct and unprecedented attack” against Israel “in the strongest terms” and reaffirmed their “full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.”
Iran’s activities have contributed to the region’s destabilization and run the risk of igniting an uncontrollably high level of regional tension. The G7 statement stated that this had to be prevented. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
Later, a senior administration official emphasized continued support for Israel and called the leaders’ meeting and debate over Iran “constructive.”
“We’re determined to protect Israel. We wouldn’t participate in any of their responses. According to the senior administration official, that is a pretty consistent policy.
US President Joe Biden speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone in this handout photo that was made public early on Sunday local time. The source has blurred parts of this picture. The Office of the Israeli Prime Minister. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
We’ll never know if Netanyahu heeds Biden’s counsel. The men were deeply tense with each other over the Gaza War at the time of the Iranian retaliation. The extent of American influence on Israeli decision-making has been exposed during that conflict. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
According to senior Biden administration officials, Israel informed the US that it is not “looking for a significant escalation with Iran.” This was stated on Sunday.
The senior administration official stated, “The president was very clear that we’re going to help defend Israel, and he made very clear to the prime minister last night that we do have to think carefully and strategically about risks of escalation.” In Israeli counter strike against Iran
Iran’s move to launch weapons toward Israel from its own territory sharply escalates the long-simmering hostility between the two nations. Political pressure for a response will probably come from within Israel. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
According to Kirby, the strike against Israel—the first to be launched from Iranian soil—did not necessarily have to be the catalyst for a larger regional conflict.
He told Tapper, “We don’t believe it is nor do we believe it has to be,” adding that both Israel and the US had a solid idea of what Iran was going to do in advance.
On Sunday, Gallant issued a warning, saying that the conflict with Iran is “not over yet.” Israel’s military cabinet meeting is anticipated to include a detailed discussion of the nation’s options for responding. In Israeli counter strike against Iran
Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued a stark warning, stating that a “new equation” had been created and Tehran would react immediately if Israel retaliated.
Tense moments in the Situation Room
Biden gathered Saturday with his national security team for “real-time updates” on Iran’s attack against Israel – at times leading to “tense moments” in the White House Situation Room.
One of those tense moments occurred when over 100 ballistic missiles were in the sky, with a short travel time to Israel.
“The results of the defenses, of course, were unclear until all was said and done. As the results of the defenses came in, which is when we knew that preparations and planning had succeeded, there was a bit of a relief,” the senior administration official said.
US officials have touted ongoing preparations ahead of Iran’s attack, which had been anticipated since a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria earlier this month.
According to the senior administration source, preparations for Saturday’s attack began “nearly two weeks ago” and included, among other things, a change in military posture and continuing talks with Israelis and other regional allies.
Biden spoke with Netanyahu following the White House’s determination that the attack on Saturday had been fully neutralized.
This story and headline have been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite, Radina Gigova, Catherine Nicholls and Tamar Michaelis contributed to this report.
