Biden reiterates US opposition to Israeli counterattack on Iran
'You got a win. Take the win,' says U.S. President Biden who assures Israeli PM Netanyahu that Washington will not back any Israeli retaliatory action against Iran
U.S. President Biden assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call Saturday that the United States will not back any Israeli retaliatory action against Iran, as per a senior White House official.
Concerns over the potential escalation into a regional conflict with dire consequences have spurred this stance, U.S. officials emphasized.
Following Iran's assault on Israel on Saturday night, involving drones and missiles in retaliation for an airstrike in Syria that killed a top Iranian general, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari revealed that "more than 200 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were fired from Iran."
Most of these threats were intercepted outside Israeli airspace.
'You got a win. Take the win'
Biden commended the joint defensive efforts between Israel, the U.S., and other regional partners, attributing their cooperation to the failure of the Iranian attack.
"You got a win. Take the win," Biden conveyed to Netanyahu, according to the official.
Furthermore, Biden clarified that the U.S. would not engage in any offensive operations against Iran, a stance Netanyahu reportedly acknowledged.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin conversed with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Saturday, requesting prior notification from Israel regarding any potential response to Iran, as per a senior Israeli official.
In a statement following the call, Biden highlighted the recent military maneuvers by the U.S., including the deployment of aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the past week.
These actions contributed significantly to thwarting the majority of incoming threats from Iran, Yemen, Syria and Iraq, Biden asserted.
"I told Prime Minister Netanyahu 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 stated.
He assured ongoing coordination with regional counterparts and close communication with Israel's leadership.
"And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people," he asserted.
Biden's support for Israel may affect his re-election effort in November
Amid escalating tensions, U.S. media reported Biden's inclination toward de-escalation.
U.S.-based agencies reported public concerns that Netanyahu might embroil the U.S. deeper into a broader conflict.
A senior White House official affirmed Biden's stance that the U.S. would refrain from participating in offensive operations against Iran.
“If he (Biden) will have an all-out war, the economic effects of that, the oil price and other things would be so catastrophic” and “potentially” place his re-election effort in peril in November, reporters noted.
Source: Newsroom
