On Sunday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated that President Joe Biden does not “believe” that Iran’s attacks Saturday on Israel should grow into a larger Middle East war.
“The President doesn’t believe that it needs to move in that direction whatsoever,” Kirby said in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
KIrby’s comments come hours after Iran launched an attack on Israel using over 300 missiles and drones.
Read: Florida Rep. Mike Waltz Blasts Biden Over Foreign Policy As Iran Launched Attack On Israel
The United States assisted Israel in defending against the attack, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement late Saturday, and only a “few” of the ballistic missiles fired by Iran landed inside Israel, according to an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson.
Kirby declined to comment regarding whether the United States would support an Israeli counterattack on Iran.
“Israel hasn’t made any decisions that I’m aware of about what the next step is,” Kirby told NBC’s Kristen Welker.
However, according to Politico, President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if Israel chooses to launch an offensive counter-strike on Iran after Tehran attacked it this weekend, the US will not join them.
Read: Iran’s UN Mission Says Its Attack On Israel Has “Concluded” Cautions U.S. To Stay Away
Biden said he would meet with other G7 leaders on Sunday to discuss a diplomatic response to Iran, which has always been his favored approach to handling the region.
He emphasized that he told Netanyahu on the phone after Iran launched the strike that Israel had demonstrated its defensive capabilities by effectively thwarting the missiles and drones.
“I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said in a statement.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.