Senior administration officials have disclosed that the White House has cautioned Israel against engaging in retaliatory strikes on Iran, asserting that the US will not partake in such actions.
The warning comes in the wake of Iran’s launch of over 300 drones and missiles at Israel overnight, purportedly in retaliation for an April 1 strike on its consulate in Syria. Despite the onslaught, Israeli, US, and allied forces managed to intercept nearly all incoming weapons before they could reach their intended targets.
According to reports, President Joe Biden emphasised to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the importance of carefully considering and strategizing their response to this unprecedented attack, marking Iran’s first direct assault on Israel.
The official added that the Biden administration believes Israel “got the best of it” in the exchange, which began when senior Iranian military commanders were killed at an Iranian consular building in Syria.
US officials highlight that approximately 99% of the missiles, drones, and cruise missiles launched during Iran’s retaliatory operation were successfully shot down or intercepted, underscoring Israeli military superiority over Iran.
Throughout the attack, US aircraft and naval vessels played a pivotal role in thwarting Iranian projectiles, with over 80 drones and at least six ballistic missiles neutralised by US aircraft, vessels, or air defence forces over Iraq.
Additionally, US Central Command (Centcom) disclosed that seven drones and a ballistic missile were intercepted as they prepared for launch from Yemen, further illustrating the effectiveness of US defence capabilities in the region.
A conversation took place between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu at a time “of heightened emotion” just after the attack, which included about 100 ballistic missiles simultaneously flying towards Israel.
During the call, the two leaders had a discussion “about how to slow things down and think through things”, with Mr Biden emphasising that Israel has “gotten the best of it”.
The official declined to say, however, whether the White House warned against a significant response, saying only that “it is a calculation the Israelis have to make”.
Throughout a series of television appearances on US networks earlier in the day, national security spokesman John Kirby reiterated the US’s commitment to avoiding a broader conflict, stressing that this message has been communicated clearly to Israel and Iran through diplomatic channels.
While affirming continued support for Israel’s defence, both Kirby and senior administration officials emphasised that the US will not participate in any Israeli response.
This stance has drawn criticism from some US lawmakers and former officials across the political spectrum.
Ohio Republican Representative Mike Turner, chair of the House intelligence committee, condemned Kirby’s remarks on de-escalation, asserting that they were misguided.
“It is already escalating, and the administration needs to respond,” he said on NBC.
And John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under President Donald Trump, said the US should join Israel if it chooses to launch a retaliatory attack on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“I think it [Israel] can destroy or disable a very substantial part [of the programme], if not totally,” he told NewsNation. “Frankly, if Israel is prepared to go after Iran’s nuclear programme, the United States should proudly join them.”
In the wake of Iran’s attack on Israel, Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that the body would “try again” to pass military aid for Israel.
Previous attempts to send more aid to Israel have stalled amid Democratic calls that the aid package should also include assistance for Taiwan and Ukraine.
Mick Mulroy, a former Deputy Secretary of Defence for the Middle East, told the BBC that aid for Israel should be passed “without delay.”
“If it wasn’t for US security assistance, we could be facing a major regional war,” he said. “That supplement and the ones for Ukraine and Taiwan are in our national security interest. It is not charity. It’s part of the US national defence.”