US says Iran's strike on 'Israel' 'sooner than later', threat 'real'
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The US President reiterates that Washington was "devoted" to the security of "Israel" and would support the occupation entity.
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US President Joe Biden makes a virtual address to the National Action Network Convention in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington, DC on April 12, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
US President Joe Biden said Friday he was expecting Iran's retaliation against an Israeli strike "sooner than later," warning Tehran not to launch an attack on the Israeli occupation entity.
"I don't want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later," Biden told reporters after an event.
Asked what his message was to Iran on striking "Israel", Biden said, "Don't."
The US President reiterated that Washington was "devoted to the defense of Israel, we will support Israel, we will help defend Israel," adding that "Iran will not succeed."
Iranian threat to Israel 'real': White House
In the same context, the White House said on Friday that Iran's threats of retaliation against "Israel" remain "real".
In recent days, Iranian officials have vowed to retaliate against the Israeli aggression that targeted the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus, which resulted in the martyrdom of seven advisors from Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations underlined Thursday that if it were not for the impunity enjoyed by the Israeli occupation in the UN Security Council, and if the perpetrators of the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria were brought to justice, Tehran would not have found it necessary to retaliate against "Israel".
"We still deem the potential threat by Iran here to be real, to be viable," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told journalists.
Kirby would not confirm reports that US officials considered an Iranian attack "imminent" or comment on whether the United States would help intercept any Iranian missiles fired at Israeli targets.
"I would just say that we're watching this very, very closely," he said, promising that Washington would make sure the Israelis "have what they need and that they're able to defend themselves."
The US official added that his country would also look at its force posture in the region where it has thousands of troops "to make sure that we're we're properly prepared."
US "warned" Iran over threats to "Israel"
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the United States has "warned" Iran over its threats to "Israel".
"We warned Iran," Jean-Pierre told reporters in a briefing, a day after Biden promised "ironclad" support for "Israel" against any Iranian attack.
"We do not want this conflict to spread. We have been very clear about that. We have made it clear to Iran that we are not involved in the Damascus attack," the White House Press Secretary said.
"We warned Iran against using this attack as a pretext to escalate further in the region or attack our facilities or personnel," she added.
On April 6, CNN cited a senior Biden administration official as saying that the United States is currently on high alert and actively preparing for a potentially "significant" Iranian attack.
The official mentioned that senior American and Israeli officials believe that an Iranian attack is "inevitable".
According to CNN, both governments are intensely coordinating their efforts to position themselves ahead of the anticipated strike. They anticipate that Iran's response could manifest in various forms, putting both US and Israeli assets and personnel at risk.
The Pentagon said on Thursday that, General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the top US commander for the Middle East was in "Israel" for talks on "security threats in the region" with Israeli military officials.
US top military officer in "Israel" to coordinate on Iran's response
In this regard, the US top military officer also headed this week to "Israel" to coordinate with his counterparts on any Iranian response to the Israeli attack on Damascus.
Speaking Friday on CBS Mornings, Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., claimed the US military was "really trying to avoid war."
The US military was "doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my primary things is to make sure all the forces in the region are protected," he indicated, adding that "my role, as the chairman of the joint chiefs, is to plan and prepare."
Read more: Iran's awaited response is 'exhausting Israel': Israeli media
