In the aftermath of Iran’s attack on Israel Saturday night, President Joe Biden said he will meet with allies on Sunday to consider what to do.
Biden said he will meet with G7 nations to craft a unified response, according to Reuters.
Biden said that during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “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.”
“Tomorrow, I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack,” he said. The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Great Britain.
On Saturday, Israel said Iran sent 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles towards Israel, according to the Independent. Almost all of the weapons were intercepted before they reached Israel.
On Sunday, John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, avoiding escalation is uppermost in Biden’s mind.
“Every decision, every discussion that he’s had is all designed to not let this become a broad regional war, and that’s where his head still is,” Kirby said on Fox News, The New York Times reported.
Israel’s War Cabinet is meeting Sunday afternoon to craft Israel’s response.
Some experts said they do not believe Iran wants escalation.
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“Iran’s government appears to have concluded that the Damascus strike was a strategic inflection point, where failure to retaliate would carry more downsides than benefits,” Ali Vaez, the Iran director of the International Crisis Group, said.
“But in doing so, the shadow war it has been waging with Israel for years now threatens to turn into a very real and very damaging conflict,” one that could drag in the United States, he added.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, said Iran “made a choice to call Israel’s bluff, and they felt they needed to do so, because they see the last six months as a persistent effort to set them back across the region.”
“I think Tehran saw a need to draw this red line and make it clear to Israel that Iran does have red lines and would not continue to tolerate the slow degradation of its position,” she said.
The Times reported that Israel was considering a retaliatory strike last night, but the strike was called off after damage from the Iranian attack proved minimal.
Iran’s drone strikes show us President Biden’s approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards. Now as we risk entering WWIII, the U.S. must stand by Israel’s commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) April 13, 2024
In a post on X, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina urged a strong American response.
“Iran’s drone strikes show us President Biden’s approach with Iran and the Middle East is backwards. Now as we risk entering WWIII, the U.S. must stand by Israel’s commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm, and stop coddling Iran immediately,” she posted.
We stand with the people of Israel against this brazen and callous attack. Iran hates democracy, Freedom, and basic human rights — making them an enemy of Israel and the United States. I expect the Biden Administration to stand up for these shared principles and hold Iran…
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) April 13, 2024
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, urged action.
“We stand with the people of Israel against this brazen and callous attack. Iran hates democracy, Freedom, and basic human rights — making them an enemy of Israel and the United States. I expect the Biden Administration to stand up for these shared principles and hold Iran accountable,” she posted.
