Biden reviews Middle East tensions with national security team after Israeli strikes on Iran

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden met with Vice President Kamala Harris and his national security team on Saturday morning to discuss developments in the Middle East, following Israel’s "precise response" to an Iranian missile attack, according to the White House.

Biden, briefed by his team, directed that “every effort be taken to protect our forces and help defend Israel against any potential responses from Iran and its proxies,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said on X.

The briefing followed an Israeli airstrike that reportedly killed four Iranian soldiers at military sites in response to Iran’s large-scale ballistic missile attack on Israel on Oct. 1. Biden had earlier expressed hope that Israel’s actions would mark “the end” of hostilities between the two nations.

The US has emphasized that Israel’s strikes should halt further direct exchanges between Israel and Iran. An American defense official, while underscoring “no US involvement” in the strikes, warned Iran of “consequences” if it chose to retaliate.

Iranian military officials have previously cautioned that any attack from Israel would be met with a “harsher response.”