Chicago – April 14, 2024
According to US officials, President Joe Biden and senior members of his national security team have informed the Israeli government that the US will not participate in any offensive action against Iran to reduce the risk of a larger regional war following a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones aimed at Israel.
In a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday, Biden attempted to portray Israel’s successful intercept of the Iranian onslaught as a huge win, implying that additional Israeli response was unnecessary.
In his telephonic conversation with Israel’s prime minister, Biden informed him that Saturday was a win because Iran’s attacks had been mainly unsuccessful and underlined Israel’s superior military capability, according to a senior administration official. According to a senior US military officer, the US determined that “no significant damage occurred within Israel itself.”
According to John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, Israel’s ability to prevent widespread damage is a show of its “military superiority” and proof that Iran is not the “military power that they claim to be.”
Even as American officials underscored to their counterparts that Israel must make the final decision on how to respond to Iran, Biden has worked to avoid the issue from escalating further.
