President Joe Biden backed Israel’s airstrike on Hezbollah’s top official in a statement released Saturday and announced that the US will strengthen its military presence in the region.
He also ordered the US to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East in response to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief called his death “justice” for the hundreds of Americans he was responsible for killing during his “four-decade reign of terror.”
Kamala Harris also released a statement supporting Israel’s attack.
As Israel launched new airstrikes on Beirut on Saturday, Biden took steps to prevent the region from descending into all-out war after Iran threatened revenge for Nasrallah’s death.
President Joe Biden speaks to the media after disembarking Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Friday, September 27, 2024. He announced that the US military would increase its presence in the Middle East on Saturday
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Biden emphasized that Israel has “the right to defend itself” against terrorist groups supported by Tehran.
But he also stressed that a diplomatic solution and ‘de-escalation’ is the best way to prevent a wider conflict.
This could be because Israel is now asking the US to come to their aid after their beheading attack by Hezbollah. Axios reports.
In addition to Nasrallah, a general of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was killed, reportedly frustrating Iran, a major supporter of Hezbollah.
Despite the White House’s repeated pleas for the Jewish nation to find a path to a ceasefire, the strike and increased US regional involvement appear to be an escalation for both countries.
“Yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further strengthen the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of broader regional war,” Biden said, unveiling a shift in strategy .
“Ultimately, our goal is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means,” Biden said in Saturday’s statement.
“In Gaza we are seeking an agreement, backed by the UN Security Council, for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs early on September 28, 2024. The Israeli army said on September 28 that it had killed the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon in an airstrike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the Iran-backed movement
Smoke rises over the southern outskirts of Beirut during Israeli strikes on September 28, 2024. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group confirmed on September 28 that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed, after Israel said it had ‘eliminated’ him at an attack on South Beirut. day earlier
“In Lebanon, we negotiated a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.”
“It is time for these deals to be closed, for the threats to Israel to be removed and for the broader Middle East region to achieve greater stability.”
He also celebrated the death of the Hezbollah leader and explained why he was targeted.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans during a 40-year reign of terror.”
“His death as a result of an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese citizens,” the president said.
Shia Muslims from Kashmir protest against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, September 28, 2024
A woman reacts as she stands in the rain with other protesters during an anti-Israel protest in Tehran’s Palestine Square on September 28, 2024, after the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group confirmed reports of the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli air strike in Beirut the previous day
“The attack that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah made the fateful decision the next day to join forces with Hamas and what he called a called the ‘northern front’. ‘against Israel.’
Finally, Biden gave his full approval to the military strike in Beirut.
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and all other Iranian-backed terrorist groups.”
Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris also released a statement endorsing Israel’s attacks.
“I have an unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” she said.
“I will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.”
Israel launched new attacks on Beirut on Saturday afternoon after Hezbollah boss Nasrallah and a senior Iranian commander were killed in an attack on Friday.
The Israeli army said late Saturday afternoon that it had carried out an airstrike in the Dahieh area of Beirut – the same district that was targeted in Friday’s attack on Hezbollah’s headquarters in the city.
A Shia Muslim from Kashmir holds a photo of deceased Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
Hezbollah confirmed the death of Hassan Nasrallah and vowed to continue fighting Israel – saying the leader had “joined his fellow martyrs.”
They said in a statement: “The leadership of Hezbollah pledges… to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, and defending Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”
And Iran’s Supreme Leader vowed that “all regional resistance forces” would support Hezbollah, demanding a “strong” response to the attack.