Washington: US President Joe Biden ruled out any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran by US and conveyed his country's decision to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the issue, a White House official said.
In an unprecedented escalation, Iran has rained hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday night in response to a suspected Israel attack on Iran’s Syria consulate on April 1.
Biden during his conversation with Netanyahu lauded Israel's “remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks.” Biden did not say in the statement if he and Netanyahu discussed a possible Israeli response or potential U.S. involvement.
John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, earlier echoed Biden and said United States will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran.
On a question if the United States would support retaliation from Israel in Iran, Kirby said his country's “commitment is ironclad” to defending Israel and to “helping Israel defend itself.” “And as the president has said many times, we don’t seek a wider war in the region. We don’t seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that. We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Kirby said.
Amid the rising Israel-Iran tensions, Russia, United Arab Emirates and Germany urged restraint. Though Iran's retaliatory air strikes at Israel caused only minor damages, Israel has vowed to strike back "at the right time".
Iran's warning
However, while talking at a press conference, Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, said that his country had notified the United States almost 72 hours in advance before launching the strike against Israel.
"About 72 hours prior to our operations, we informed our friends and neighbours in the region that Iran's response against Israel was certain, legitimate and irrevocable," said Amirabdollahian in Tehran.
Iran had informed the US that the attacks launched would be 'limited.' “Early Sunday in a message to the White House we announced that our operation would be limited and minimalistic and aimed at legitimate defence and punishing the Israeli regime,” he added.
Meanwhile, Israel's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said that his country will exact the price from Iran in response to its missile strikes.
“We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us,” Gantz said in a statement. (With agency inputs)
