Alex Brandon/AP
President Joe Biden speaks remotely at the National Action Network conference on April 12, 2024, from the South Court Auditorium of the White House.
CNN
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President Joe Biden and senior members of his National Security Council, seeking to contain the risk of a wider regional war following Iranian missiles and drone strikes toward Israel, have told their counterparts that the United States will not participate in any offensive action against Iran. According to US officials familiar with the matter.
In Conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Later Saturday, Biden tried to frame the Iranian attack as a major victory for Israel's successful intervention — and with the suggestion that an Israeli response was unnecessary.
Biden told the Israeli prime minister in a phone call that Saturday should be considered a victory because Iran's attacks were largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel's superior military capabilities, a senior administration official said.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday that the ability to prevent widespread damage was proof of Israel's “military superiority” and that Iran is not “the military power they claim to be.”
“This is an incredible victory that really demonstrates Israel's military superiority and, critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region who are willing to help them around the world,” Kirby told CNN's Jake Tapper. State of the Union.”
According to another US official, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, to notify the US in advance of any potential response to an Iranian attack.
While U.S. officials have insisted to their counterparts that the ultimate decision on how to respond to Iran rests with Israel, Biden has sought to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict.
On Sunday, he planned to convene a meeting of his fellow seven leaders to discuss a “coordinated diplomatic response” – an emphasis on non-military measures that would limit the chances of a wider war.
“I told him that Israel has demonstrated a remarkable ability to counter and defeat unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its adversaries that Israel's security cannot be effectively threatened,” Biden said in a statement following his conversation with Netanyahu.
Israeli Prime Minister's Office
In this handout photo released early Sunday morning local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on the phone with US President Joe Biden. Parts of this image have been blurred by the source.
Whether Netanyahu accepts Biden's advice remains an open question. The Iranian reprisals come at a moment of deep tension between the men in the war in Gaza. Throughout that conflict, the limits of American influence on Israeli decision-making have been laid bare.
Iran's decision to fire weapons at Israel from its own territory significantly escalates the lingering animosity between the two countries. There will be political pressure from within Israel for some kind of response.
Kirby said the attack — the first launched from Iranian soil — against Israel would not necessarily constitute the start of a wider regional war.
“We don't believe it is nor do we believe it should be,” he told Tapper, noting that both the U.S. and Israel were well aware of what Iran was planning to do in advance.
Gallant warned on Sunday that a conflict with Iran would “Not done yet.” The country's response options are expected to be discussed in detail during a meeting of Israel's war cabinet.
Hossein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that Tehran would respond directly if Israel retaliated, saying a “new equation” had been created.
This story and headline have been updated with additional reporting.
CNN's Catherine Nichols and Tamar Michaelis contributed to this report.
