Biden tells Netanyahu US opposes response to Iran's retaliation: Axios
4 Min Read
A US official also says the US Defense Secretary asked the Israeli Security Minister to notify Washington before any potential response to Iran's strikes.
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A battery of "Israel's" Iron Dome anti-air system, deployed to intercept rockets, sits in "Ashkelon", southern occupied Palestine, August 7, 2022. (AP)
A senior White House official told Axios that US President Joe Biden told Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his country opposes any Israeli response to the Iranian retaliatory strike.
The White House confirmed Sunday that Biden spoke by telephone with Netanyahu following the unprecedented Iranian retaliation on "Israel" in response to the strike that targeted Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1.
Following the call, Biden said US forces have "helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles." He also announced that he "will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack."
But an American official informed CNN that Biden told Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in offensive operations against Iran.
Austin: Washington does not seek conflict with Iran
Another official revealed that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant in a phone call to notify Washington before any potential response to Iran's strikes.
Austin said the United States will take all the necessary measures to protect its forces in the Middle East, as well as "Israel", noting, however, that Washington is not seeking conflict with Iran.
He added that the US forces shot down "dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen."
Shortly after the Iranian retaliatory attack, the IRGC warned the US government that supporting or taking part in harming Iran's interests would result in a decisive response by the Iranian Armed Forces.
It also held the United States responsible for the "evil" actions of the Israeli occupation regime, vowing that if the "child-killing regime" is not restrained in the region, it will bear the consequences.
The statement emphasized Iran's policy of good neighborliness with countries of the region but made it clear that any threat by the United States and "Israel" originating from any country would be met with a reciprocal and proportionate Iranian response to the source of the threat.
US worried about 'Israel's' response to Iran's attack: NBC News
NBC News cited a senior Biden administration official and a senior defense official as saying that top US officials are concerned that "Israel" might act swiftly in response to the Iranian attack without considering the potential consequences afterward.
According to the two officials, these concerns partly arise from the administration's perception of "Israel's" approach in its war on Gaza and the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Three informed sources told NBC News that Biden has privately conveyed worries that Netanyahu might be attempting to involve the US more deeply in a wider conflict.
The US-based news website revealed that American officials have privately expressed frustration over "Israel's" attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, believing that Israeli officials did not thoroughly consider the timing and consequences of the strike, including its potential impact on negotiations over a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
"I don’t think they had a strategy," the senior Biden administration official indicated, pointing out that "the Israelis don’t always make the best strategic decisions."
NBC News also cited the senior defense official as saying that senior Pentagon officials have privately voiced concerns about the timing of the Damascus strike, as it had the potential to escalate tensions dramatically.
The defense official also described the Israeli occupation entity's approach to military operations as "frenetic".
"There’s this urgency to act," the official noted, "and that’s what happened in Damascus."
Read more: Iran's ballistic missiles, drones impact Israeli targets (Footage)
