15 April 2024 , 07:24
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President Joe Biden has reportedly privately expressed concern that Israel is attempting to drag the US into a wider war that could be "catastrophically escalatory".
Top US officials believe Israel may be planning a hasty response to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attacks, potentially provoking a wider regional conflict that the US could get involved in, NBC News reports. On Saturday Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones towards Israel in an overnight aerial attack it claimed was in response to a deadly strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks ago.
The IDF said that 99% of the drones and missiles fired were intercepted before hitting their targets and has vowed a "significant response" to the attack. Biden has previously publicly vowed his administration would provide "ironclad" support to defend Israel against attacks.
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Israeli officials are weighing up how to respond to Iran's attacks (Israeli Prime Minister Office/AF)But the president has now expressed worries in private that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to pull Washington into a broader conflict, according to three people familiar with Biden's comments.
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Biden informed Netanyahu in a phone call on Saturday evening that if Israel retaliated against Iran the US would not participate in offensive operations, a senior administration official said. The US had warned a response from Iran was imminent following the deadly bombing of an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria on April 1.
According to senior US defence officials, they worry an Israeli response to Saturday's attacks would be "frenetic" and "catastrophically escalatory". A senior Biden administration official said the president has urged Netanyahu to "think very carefully and strategically" about how his forces respond to the unprecedented attacks.
Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles (AFP via Getty Images)Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s wartime unity government has vowed that Israel will "exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us.” Saturday's attacks on Israel marked the first direct attack by Iran on the country.
According to the IDF, F-35 Warplanes conducted a 7-hour-long wave of sorties intercepting and downing Iranian UAVs and missiles over Jordan, Syria and Israel. Warning sirens could be heard echoing around cities across the country after Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corp sent waves of deadly weapons that hit the country at around 2am local time.
The barrage of missiles caused little damage but the Israeli military warned people to remain alert. Iran justified the attack as retaliation for an airstrike it attributed to Israel that killed seven IRGC officers, including a top commander.
The IRGC said the attack was aimed a "specific targets". Following the assault, Netanyahu vowed "Together we will win", but it's still not clear exactly how Israel plans to respond.