According to US President Joe Biden, the US “assisted Israel in destroying almost all of the inbound drones and missiles” coming from Iran.
He says in a statement that “over the course of the past week,” he has directed US military aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the area.
“Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles,” the president says. “I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently speaking with US President Joe Biden, following the deliberations of the Security Cabinet and the War Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/v2oJqMSky4
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 14, 2024
In the call, he claims to have reiterated America's “ironclad” commitment to Israel.
“I told him Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks,” Biden says.
Israel has sent “a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel” by doing this, he continues.
President Biden announced that he will meet with the leaders of the G7 on Sunday “to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran's brazen attack.”
He adds that his team will remain in close contact with Israel's leaders.
Although there haven't been any attacks on US facilities, according to Biden, the US “remains vigilant to all threats.”
According to Biden, “We will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.”
According to the New York Times, 185 drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles were fired from Iran, Iraq, and Yemen as part of the Iranian attack.
Pentagon's response
In response to the attack, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanded that Iran “immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces.”
The US would “not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel,” he continued, adding that the US did not “seek conflict” with Iran and that US forces would “remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel's defense, and enhance regional stability.”
According to three U.S. officials, the military shot down Iranian drone aircraft that were flying toward Israel on Saturday. The number of drones shot down and their exact locations were not disclosed.
