The White House avoids commenting on a possible Israeli response to the Iranian attack

The White House on Monday carefully avoided commenting on a possible Israeli response to the weekend’s Iranian attack, but also stressed that the United States did not want to see further escalation in the region.

“This is an Israeli decision to make – whether and how they will respond to what Iran did on Saturday,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the briefing. daily press. “And we’re going to leave it to them to take care of.”

ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce then asked if the administration was making any suggestions to Israeli officials on how to respond.

“We are not involved in their decision-making process regarding a potential response,” Kirby responded.

When asked whether President Biden had specifically asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint on Iran, Kirby only responded that Biden had conveyed to the Israeli leader that on Saturday evening he had stressed Israel’s military superiority over Iran as well as the coalition of partners ready to defend Israel.

“The president urged the prime minister to think about what this success in itself means for the rest of the region,” Kirby said.

“All I will say is that the president, since the beginning of this conflict and October 7, has been firm and consistent,” he continued. “We don’t want to see a war with Iran. We don’t want to see a broader regional conflict. We will do what it takes to defend Israel.”

Biden had a similar message when he spoke briefly during his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in the Oval Office, where the two were expected to discuss the importance of their partnership at a critical time.

“Iran launched an unprecedented air attack against Israel and we mounted an unprecedented military effort to defend Israel,” Biden said. “Together with our partners, we defeated this attack.”

“The United States is committed to Israel’s security,” the president continued. “We are committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent the conflict from expanding beyond what it already has.”

Biden did not answer questions or elaborate on what he thinks should happen next as Israel considers how to respond to the Iranian attack during its meeting with al-Sudani in Iraq, although the administration has made it clear that it does not want a broader war.

Netanyahu met with his war cabinet on Monday to discuss potential responses to the Iranian attack. An Israeli official said that after the meeting there was agreement that Israel should respond to the weekend’s Iranian attack, but “the question is how.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell chastised the Biden administration for its response to the situation so far, saying Biden was trying to “tie the hands of an ally under attack.”

Related Stories

“Public criticism of Israel by senior administration officials undoubtedly influences the decisions of Israel’s adversaries,” McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor. “If the president’s commitment to a vital ally were ‘ironclad,’ his response to this weekend’s attack would not be to lecture his leaders against responding in self-defense. Would an American commander in chief not react if an adversary launched 300 missiles at the United States? ground?”

McConnell added: “It’s time for the commander in chief to stand with our allies and stand up to our adversaries. »

The April 13 attack on Israel was seen as retaliation for a military strike on what Iran calls its consulate in Damascus, Syria. The strike killed seven people, including a senior Iranian commander. The Pentagon said earlier this month that Israel was behind the strike, although Israel did not claim responsibility.

On Monday, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited an air base where Iranian missiles struck over the weekend, saying Iran’s actions “will result in a response.”

President Biden, a day before Iran’s actions, issued a direct message to the country: “Don’t do it.”

Asked about Iran’s apparent defiance despite Biden’s warning, Kirby said the U.S. intervention to help Israel in Saturday’s attack should send a clear message: “When the president says we’re going to take serious about our commitments in the region and that we will “We help Israel defend itself, we have skin in the game and we prove it.”

Kirby also vehemently denied reports that Iran informed the United States in advance of its intention to strike Israel. He called such an account “ridiculous” and “categorically false.”

“Iran never delivered a message telling us the time and the targets,” he said.

He said Israel is in a stronger position and Iran has weakened after Israel, with help from the United States and other partners, repelled hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Tehran over the weekend.

Kirby said “much of the world today stands with Israel” as G7 partners, led by President Joe Biden, work on new multilateral sanctions to target Iran’s missile program.

“That’s the outcome here: a stronger Israel, a weaker Iran and a more unified alliance of partners,” Kirby told reporters. “That was not Iran’s intention when it launched this attack on Saturday night, not even close. And once again, they failed. They completely failed.”

ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Dana Savir contributed to this report.