Biden Pushing Israel For Minimal Response To Iranian Attack

President Joe Biden is reportedly trying to get Israel to minimize their response to the attack launched against it by Iran on Saturday. According to a CNN report, the Biden administration is urging Israel to not escalate the attacks but rather have “containment in mind.”

While the administration admitted that Iran’s attack, which was in retaliation of the killing of an Iranian general in an Israeli strike, is “disproportionate” to the general’s killing, Biden is reportedly focused on “preventing a full-scale regional conflict from erupting.”

NBC News also reported that the administration harbors concern that Israel could launch a military response to Iran’s attack “without thinking through potential fallout afterward.”

Per the outlet, Biden has “privately expressed concern” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is among a three-man cabinet authorized by Israel’s security cabinet to decide the country’s response to Saturday’s attack, could push the U.S. into a war in the Middle East. Due to this reason, the president told Netanyahu that the United States will not back a counterattack against Israel.

White House NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson, however, said in a statement after the attack on Saturday that the U.S. support for Israel is “ironclad.” “The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran,” she stated.

U.S. officials have asked Israel to notify the U.S. before it launches any military response to the attack.

Iran launched a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and hundreds of suicide drones at Israel on Saturday, an attack that was predicted by U.S. officials.

According to a senior U.S. official, the U.S. believes that while the majority of the attacks will come from Iran, up to 500 drones and missiles could have been launched at Israel from Iraq, southern Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, countries where Iran has terrorist proxy groups.

Over a 100 drones have reportedly been shot down by the U.S. and the United Kingdom. As seen on social media, Israel’s Iron Dome has also shot down numerous projectiles headed for the Middle East nation.

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BREAKING:

A video from Damascus showing how the Iranian suicide drones are being intercepted after being engaged by the Israeli air defense system. pic.twitter.com/eV4Ys4Pum6

— Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) April 13, 2024