U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will not join in any counter-offensive response to Iran's attack over the weekend.
During a phone call Saturday, Biden told Netanyahu the U.S. would not support a counter-attack and that Israel should consider Saturday's deflection of most of Iran's missiles and drones to be a win, according to reports from CNN, Axios and The Wall Street Journal.
Biden and his senior aides are concerned that if Israel responds to the hundreds of drones and missiles sent by Iran over the weekend, it would result in a disastrous regional war.
Most of the missiles and drones fired by Iran over the weekend were shot down by military forces from Israel, Jordan, the United States and the United Kingdom.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the ability to rebuff the attacks showed Israel's "military superiority," and proved that Iran is not the "military power that they claim to be."
Kirby said on CNN's "State of the Union," that the defense operation was an "incredible success, really proving Israel’s military superiority and just as critically, their diplomatic superiority, that they have friends in the region, that they have around the world that are willing to help them."
Iran launched the attack Saturday after blaming Israel for airstrikes in Syria on April 1 that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including top-ranking Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Israel has not claimed responsibility for that attack.
Iran has threatened more attacks on Israel if it responds to the drone and missile barrage. Iranian-funded proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, have already been increasing their attacks on Israel from multiple fronts since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists entered Israel and killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 others.
