President Joe Biden said US forces helped Israel shoot down nearly all the drones and missiles fired by Iran on Saturday, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength.
The US president said he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, after recent tense relations over Israel’s war in Gaza.
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He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear.
Biden added that he would convene “fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.”
His comments hinted at the US balancing act between supporting its ally and wanting to deescalate tensions, amid fears of Washington being dragged into another Middle East war.
Those fears have mounted ever since a presumed Israeli strike on April 1 levelled an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, killing seven members of the elite Revolutionary Guards including two generals.
After launching the drone strikes, Tehran warned the United States on Sunday to “stay away” from its conflict with Israel.
US media reported that Biden was looking to de-escalate.
Biden’s handling of the Middle East conflict will also be under scrutiny in a US presidential election year.