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United States President Joe Biden said he would prevent the conflict in the Middle East from spreading more widely even as the Iran-Israel attack heightened fears of wide conflict.
World powers have called for restraint after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel late Saturday, though the Israeli military has said nearly all were intercepted.
“Iran launched an unprecedented aerial attack against Israel, and we launched an unprecedented military effort to defend it. Together with our partners, we defended that attack,” Biden said as he met Iraq’s visiting Prime Minister.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security. We’re committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent the conflict from spreading beyond what it already has,” Biden added in the Oval Office.
No decision has been made on how, when, or if Israel could respond to the Iran attack, local media said, reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet with his war cabinet on Tuesday.
Tensions in Iran “weaken the regime and rather serve Israel,” the newspaper Israel Hayom said, adding that this suggested Israeli leaders would not rush to retaliate.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has warned that a “reckless” Israeli move would spark a “much stronger response”.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,797 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
