White House insists Iran did NOT give heads up on Israel attack and claims the Jewish state is ‘not looking for a significant escalation’ with Tehran
Israel is not seeking ‘significant escalation’ with Iran despite concerns of counter strikes, the White House said.
After Tehran officials claimed they gave Washington, D.C. a heads up that it would conduct attacks on Israel, a senior administration official said this was not the case.
‘I would not characterize it as if Iran gave us the time to prepare,’ the official said during a call with reporters on Sunday. ‘Their intent was clearly to be highly, highly destructive. And that is in their public rhetoric and I think it’s borne out by what they tried to do last night.
They said that Iran needed time to prepare for the attack and the U.S. ‘used the time wisely to prepare’ for defense.
Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran informed the U.S. of its impending attack and gave a 72-hour warning to neighboring countries in the Middle East.
Israel has told Washington it does not seek a ‘significant escalation’ of conflict with Iran amid concerns of a counter strike. Pictured: President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 8, 2023
Iran and its proxies launched around 300 missiles and drones toward Israel since Saturday – but the vast majority were intercepted and shot down before reaching Israeli air space
‘We announced… to the White House in a message that our operations will be limited, minimal and will be aimed at punishing the Israeli regime,’ Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday.
It came after more than 300 missiles, drones and other strikes were barraged into Israel – but most were intercepted and shot down before reaching the nation’s airspace.
Before the strike, Iran warned the U.S. against getting involved with the conflict and said it would target American troops. Reported details from a call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveal the U.S. leader said he would not get involved in counter strikes.
Amid concerns of retaliation, the U.S. official on the press call on Sunday said that Jerusalem also signaled it does not seek further conflict with Tehran.
‘Israel’s made clear to us, they’re not looking for a significant escalation with Iran,’ they said. ‘That’s not what they’re looking for.’
‘They’re looking to protect themselves and defend themselves.’
Biden spoke with G7 leaders after returning to the White House on Saturday a day early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to address the escalating conflict.
A senior Defense official said on Sunday that the discussions involved potentially revisiting sanctions that were floated earlier with Iran but hit hurdles before being implemented.
While Biden and his national security team insists U.S. support for Israel’s defense is ‘ironclad,’ the administration has repeatedly distanced itself from ideas it will get involved with taking action directly against Iran.
President Joe Biden returned early from his weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to convene with his National Security team in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday
NSC Spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. has warned Iran against ‘what we would do’ if American troops are targeted in the Middle East amid escalating conflict in the region
National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran ‘what we would do’ if American troops or facilities are targeted.
Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies.
‘The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don’t seek a wider war in the region,’ Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning.
When pressed by the Meet the Press host on whether Biden has ruled out a direct attack against Iran, Kirby reiterated: ‘We don’t seek a war with Iran.’
