Israel is not seeking a “significant escalation” with Iran despite concerns about counterattacks, the White House said.
After officials in Tehran claimed they had warned Washington DC that it would carry out attacks on Israel, a senior government official said this was not the case.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as Iran giving us time to prepare,” the official said on a call with reporters on Sunday. ‘They clearly intended to be very, very destructive. And that’s in their public rhetoric and I think it’s borne out by what they tried to do last night.
They said Iran needed time to prepare for the attack and that the US used the time “wisely to prepare” for defense.
The Iranian Foreign Minister said this Tehran informed the US of its impending attack and issued a 72-hour warning to neighboring countries in the Middle East.
Israel has told Washington it is not seeking a “significant escalation” of the conflict with Iran, amid concerns about a counterattack. Pictured: President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 8, 2023
Iran and its allies launched about 300 missiles and drones toward Israel since Saturday — but the vast majority were intercepted and shot down before reaching Israeli airspace
“We announced to the White House in a message that our operations will be limited, minimal and aimed at punishing the Israeli regime,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday.
It came after more than 300 rockets, drones and other attacks were fired at Israel – but most were intercepted and shot down before reaching the country’s airspace.
Before the attack, Iran warned the US against getting involved in the conflict and said it would target US forces. Reported details of a phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu show that the US leader said he would not get involved in counter-attacks.
Amid concerns about retaliation, the US official said during Sunday’s press call that Jerusalem also indicated it is not seeking further conflict with Tehran.
“Israel has made it clear to us that it is not seeking a significant escalation with Iran,” they said. “That’s not what they’re looking for.”
“They want to protect and defend themselves.”
Biden spoke to G7 leaders after returning to the White House a day early on Saturday following his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to address the escalating conflict.
A senior defense official said Sunday that the discussions may involve reviewing sanctions that were previously imposed on Iran but faced hurdles before being implemented.
While Biden and his national security team insist that U.S. support for Israel’s defense is “ironclad,” the administration has repeatedly distanced itself from ideas it will become involved in taking direct action against Iran.
President Joe Biden returned early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to meet with his National Security team in the White House Situation Room on Saturday
NSC spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that the US has warned Iran of “what we would do” if US forces are targeted in the Middle East, amid an escalating conflict in the region.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran “what we would do” if U.S. forces or facilities are targeted.
Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are unhappy with the Biden administration’s response so far to the escalating conflict and want an immediate response to last night’s attacks by Iran and its allies.
‘The president has made it clear: we are not seeking a war with Iran. We are not seeking a broader war in the region,” Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker on Sunday morning.
When pressed by the Meet the Press host on whether Biden has ruled out a direct strike on Iran, Kirby reiterated, “We are not seeking a war with Iran.”