Biden tells Netanyahu US would not take part in offensive response against Iran, media reports say
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US President Joe Biden has suggested that further response from Israel is unnecessary.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive against Iran, a White House official said on April 14.
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel a suspected Israel attack
In a statement issued late on April 13, following the attacks, Mr Biden said he told Mr Netanyahu that Israel had “demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks.”
Mr Biden did not say in the statement if he and Mr Netanyahu discussed a possible Israeli response or potential US involvement.
Mr John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, told ABC’s This Week programme on April 14 that the US will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran.
Asked if the US would support retaliation from Israel in Iran, Mr Kirby said that “our commitment is ironclad” to defending Israel and to “helping Israel defend itself.”
“And as the president has said many times, we don’t seek a wider war in the region. We don’t seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that,” Mr Kirby added.
“We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Mr Kirby said. REUTERS
