“Together with our partners, we thwarted that attack,” Biden said in his first public appearance since the attack, hosting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in the Oval Office.
He added that “the United States is committed to Israel’s security” and continued efforts to reach a deal to stop the war in Gaza, free hostages there and prevent “the conflict from spreading beyond its current boundaries.”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller noted on Monday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with officials from Britain, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to ease tensions.
“We continue to make it clear to everyone we talk to that we want to see a de-escalation and we don’t want to see further escalation,” Mr. Miller told reporters in Washington. “We don’t want to see a wider regional war.”
However, he added, “Israel is a sovereign state. They must decide for themselves how best to protect themselves.”
As Israel considers its next steps, Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdullahian once again warned Israel that Iran would “react immediately to Israeli adventures” if attacked.
“I reiterate that we have no intention of exacerbating tensions in the region,” Mr. Amir Abdullahian said, according to Iranian state media. But he added that if U.S. bases in the region were used to launch attacks, Iran will have “no choice” but to target these bases.
Amir Abdullahian spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Monday to discuss diplomatic efforts to prevent further military attacks.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the Iranian attack as a “reckless and dangerous escalation” by a government “deliberately seeking to sow chaos in its own backyard.” “We fully support Israel in the face of such threats,” Sunak told British lawmakers. But he added that Britain was working with its allies to de-escalate the situation, a point also stressed by Cameron.
“We urge our Israeli friends to be smart but tough, to use their heads and hearts, not to fight back, but to recognize that Iran has actually suffered a tactical and strategic defeat and that Israel should now focus on Hamas and “It’s up to Israel to make sure they get a hostage deal and try to bring peace and stability to Gaza,” Mr Cameron told the TV show.good morning britain“.
