US President Joe Biden holds a press conference at the end of the G7 Summit, in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The The White House is taking a “wait and see” approach in response Iran tries to attack about Israel, National Security spokesman John Kirby said Sunday. President Joe Biden aimed at cooling down the situation through diplomatic rather than military action.
“I think we have to wait and see what the Israelis decide to do,” Kirby said on “Fox News Sunday.” “President Biden, since the beginning of this conflict, has worked very hard to keep this conflict from becoming a broader regional war, to keep tensions from escalating. ”
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, most of which were intercepted through a coordinated effort between Israel, the US and other regional partners.
The Biden administration is working to blunt the fallout of the attempted strike, which at first appeared capable of sparking all-out war in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Biden convened G-7 leaders to discuss Iran's attack. The meeting was scheduled “to coordinate a unified diplomatic response,” Mr. Biden said in a statement Saturday, suggesting that the White House was committed to responding through diplomacy rather than military retaliation.
On Saturday, Iran said its attack “can be considered to have ended,” according to a statement from Iran's UN delegationhinting that the escalation may be cooling, at least for now.
“If the Israeli authorities commit another mistake, Iran's response will be significantly harsher,” the statement added.
Tehran had previously warned that it was planning retaliatory moves for the attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 for which Israel was responsible. Israel, in turn, vowed to “react and strike” if Iran carries out those threats.
In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu On Saturday night, Biden said the US would not engage in offensive operations against Iran, although the US remains committed to helping Israel defend itself, a senior administration official told NBC News.
“It will be up to the Israelis to decide what the next step is,” Kirby said.
