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President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will not participate in a counteroffensive against Iran if Israel decides to retaliate against a massive drone and missile attack on Israeli territory overnight, White House officials said.
The threat of an open war between the Middle East’s main foes and dragging down the United States has put the region on edge, prompting calls for global powers and Arab states to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation.
U.S. media reported earlier on Sunday that Biden told Netanyahu in an overnight phone call that he would not participate in retaliatory actions. White House officials confirmed the remarks to Reuters.
White House top national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the United States will continue to help Israel defend itself but does not want a war.
On April 1, Iran suspected Israel of attacking its consulate in Syria, killing a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, after the war in Gaza triggered months of conflict between Israel and Iran’s regional allies.
However, attacks from more than 300 missiles and drones, mostly launched from Iranian territory, caused only minor damage to Israel, as most were shot down with help from the United States, Britain and Jordan.
An air force base in southern Israel was attacked but continued to operate normally. A 7-year-old child was seriously injured by shrapnel. No other serious damage was reported.
Two senior Israeli ministers said on Sunday that Israel would not retaliate immediately and would not act alone.
“We will build a regional alliance and charge Iran a price in a way and at a time that suits us,” centrist minister Benny Gantz said before a meeting of the war cabinet.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant also said there was an opportunity for Israel to form a strategic alliance to counter “the serious Iranian threat to install nuclear explosives on these missiles, which could be an extremely serious threat.” Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
Iranian Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri warned on television that “if Israel retaliates against Iran, our response will be much greater than tonight’s military action” and told Washington that its bases would be threatened if Israel helped retaliate. May also be attacked.
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian said that Tehran has informed the United States that attacks on Israel will be “limited” for the purpose of self-defense, and regional neighbors have also been notified of its planned attacks 72 hours in advance.
Turkish diplomatic sources said Iran had given Turkey advance notice of what would happen.
Iran said the attack was aimed at punishing “Israel for its crimes” but now “considers the matter to be over”.
Russia, China, France and Germany, as well as Arab states Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have urged restraint and the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet at 4pm ET (2000 GMT) on Sunday.
“We will do everything we can to prevent further escalation,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during his visit to China. “We can only warn everyone, especially Iran, not to continue to do this.”
Türkiye also warned Iran that it did not want further tensions in the region.
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Analysts debate the extent to which Iran’s attacks were intended to cause real damage to Israel or to save face at home after vowing revenge while avoiding a new major war.
“I think the Iranians take into account that Israel has a very, very powerful multi-layered anti-missile system, and they probably take into account that there won’t be too many casualties,” said Sima Sheehan, a former senior Mossad official at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. .
But if Iran wants a soft response, like the one it carried out in 2020 when it launched missile strikes on U.S. troops in Iraq after the killing of Guards Commander Qassem Soleimani, “I don’t think Israel sees it that way,” she warned.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, underscoring the impact of the broader conflict on the world economy. risks of.
Some flights were suspended across countries in the region, and stock markets in Israel and Gulf states fell.
Israel invaded Gaza on October 7 following an attack by Iran-backed Hamas, and the fighting has spread to Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful ally in the region, fired rockets at Israeli bases overnight. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah site in Lebanon on Sunday morning.
Yemen’s Houthis have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea in what they say is a show of support for the Palestinians, who say Iran’s attacks are legal.
The Oct. 7 attack, which Israel said killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, combined with domestic dissatisfaction with the government and international pressure over the war in Gaza formed the backdrop for Netanyahu’s decision to respond. At least 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military offensive, according to the enclave’s authorities.
The Israeli prime minister has for years advocated a tough military line against Iran, urging the United States to take tougher action against Tehran’s nuclear program and supporting Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in the region.
In Israel, while people were shocked by the first direct attack from another country in more than three decades, the mood contrasted with the trauma suffered after the October 7 Hamas-led attack.
“I think we have the license now to respond,” said Jeremy Smith, 60. “I mean, this is a major attack from Iran… I think Israel will respond , and may end soon and return to normal life.”
In Iran, state television showed images of small rallies in several cities celebrating the attacks, but privately some Iranians are worried about Israel’s response.
“Iran gave Netanyahu a golden opportunity to attack our country. But we, the Iranian people, will bear the brunt of this conflict,” said Seema, a 29-year-old nurse from Tehran.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
