Joe Biden cuts short beach trip as Iran launches strike against Israel
- The US president headed back to the White House to meet his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East
- Tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Gaza war began, after 12 people were killed in a suspected Israeli strike on Iran’s consular building in Syria
US President Joe Biden cut short a weekend stay at his Delaware beach house and headed back to the White House on Saturday to meet his national security team and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack against Israel.
Tensions are at their highest since the Israel-Gaza war began six months ago after a suspected Israeli strike this month on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.
Iran had vowed to retaliate against Israel, and US and Israeli officials have been bracing for an attack, amid concerns about the conflict escalating into a wider regional war.
The Pentagon reported that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats … and made clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies”.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke with his counterpart to reinforce Washington’s “ironclad commitment to the security of Israel”.
Biden on Friday said the United States was “devoted” to defending Israel and that “Iran will not succeed.” Asked by reporters what his message was for Iran, the president’s only reply was: “Don’t.”
He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct US military response, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was,
Biden said he did not want to get into secure information, “but my expectation is sooner than later”.
How could Iran seek to punish Israel over Syria consulate attack?
The US, along with its allies, have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalating the conflict.
During the Israel-Gaza war, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border.
US officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on US forces at bases in those countries since war started on October 7.
One attack in late January killed three US service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the US launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria.
