Israel’s targeted retaliatory strike on Iran is expected to be the last of the back-and-forth, direct military action between the two countries, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration said tonight.
“This should be the end of direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran,” the official said. “As far as we are concerned, this should end direct exchanges between Israel and Iran.”
The official said this is the “very strong position” of the US and “it has been communicated to our partners across the region.”
The official said Biden and his security team “have been working with the Israelis in recent weeks to encourage Israel to carry out a response that was targeted and proportionate, with a low risk of harm to the civilian population, and that is exactly what happened tonight happened.”
In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Biden said any strike should be intended to deter further attacks on Israel and reduce the risk of further escalation, the official said.
“We don’t want this to happen,” the official said, referring to the possibility that Iran could respond.
The source emphasized that the United States did not play a direct role in the Israeli attacks, which occurred “in multiple waves.” But if Iran directly targets Israel, the United States has pledged to support its ally.
“Should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to defend against any attack again,” the official said.