US President Joe Biden expressed his concern on Friday about a potential Iranian attack on Israel but warned Tehran against it.
“Don’t,” he said when asked by reporters about the attack. He emphasized the United States’ commitment to defending Israel and said, “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed,” as quoted by Reuters.
The heightened tensions come in the wake of an airstrike on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus last week, which resulted in the death of a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force and six other officers.Although Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Israel “must be punished and shall be” for what he considered an attack on Iranian soil.
Biden declined to share classified information but indicated that he anticipated an Iranian attack on Israel could occur “sooner rather than later.” In response to the threat, the US has deployed warships to protect Israel and American forces in the region, hoping to prevent a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that the US actions were prompted by a warning from an informed source regarding the timing and location of the potential Iranian attack. Despite discussions of attack plans within the Iranian leadership, a final decision has not been made, according to a person briefed on the matter, quoted by WSJ.
Several countries, including India, France, Poland, and Russia, have advised their citizens against traveling to the region, which is already tense due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Germany has also urged its citizens to leave Iran.
White House spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the threat of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel was genuine and credible, although he did not provide specifics about the timing. He added that the United States was assessing its own force posture in the region in response to Tehran’s threat and closely monitoring the situation.
“Don’t,” he said when asked by reporters about the attack. He emphasized the United States’ commitment to defending Israel and said, “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed,” as quoted by Reuters.
The heightened tensions come in the wake of an airstrike on Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus last week, which resulted in the death of a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force and six other officers.Although Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Israel “must be punished and shall be” for what he considered an attack on Iranian soil.
Biden declined to share classified information but indicated that he anticipated an Iranian attack on Israel could occur “sooner rather than later.” In response to the threat, the US has deployed warships to protect Israel and American forces in the region, hoping to prevent a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that the US actions were prompted by a warning from an informed source regarding the timing and location of the potential Iranian attack. Despite discussions of attack plans within the Iranian leadership, a final decision has not been made, according to a person briefed on the matter, quoted by WSJ.
Several countries, including India, France, Poland, and Russia, have advised their citizens against traveling to the region, which is already tense due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Germany has also urged its citizens to leave Iran.
White House spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the threat of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel was genuine and credible, although he did not provide specifics about the timing. He added that the United States was assessing its own force posture in the region in response to Tehran’s threat and closely monitoring the situation.
