US President Joe Biden has expressed his opposition to any possible Israeli retaliatory action targeting Iranian nuclear facilities following Iran’s launch of approximately 180 missiles aimed at Israel.
Tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel following an Iranian attack on Tuesday, which Israel claims was thwarted mainly by its missile defense system.
Iran has stated that the recent barrage was a reaction to the deaths of prominent figures, including Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The assault followed Israel’s announcement of a ground offensive into Lebanon, aimed at dismantling what it described as Iran-backed Hezbollah’s “terrorist infrastructure” in border villages.
The United States has consistently urged for de-escalation and has spearheaded extensive negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza. Yet, these efforts have to yield results.
On Wednesday, President Biden addressed reporters while touring hurricane damage in North Carolina alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Is there support for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities?” A reporter posed a question to Biden.
“No,” he replied.
He stated that the US “will be in discussions with the Israelis regarding their plans moving forward.”
He stated that he had engaged in discussions with the leaders of other G7 nations, all of whom concurred that Israel “has the right to respond, but they should respond proportionally.”
During a recent briefing, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated, “It’s clear that this was an unprecedented escalation by Iran.”
Israel is entitled to take action in response. Discussions are underway regarding the nature of that response.
As of now, the White House has not provided any public guidance on its stance regarding Israel’s potential response to Iran’s recent attack.
In a video message released on Tuesday, President Biden stated that, under his direction, US military forces in the region had successfully intercepted and shot down missiles launched from Iran.
The Iranian attack was described as “defeated and ineffective,” with officials highlighting it as “a testament to intensive planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the brazen attack we expected.”
President Biden emphasized the unwavering support of the United States for Israel, stating, “Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel.”
