House speaker urges Biden to release weapons to Israel

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - House Speaker Mike Johnson urged US President Joe Biden on Tuesday to release all weapons to Israel after an attack on an Iraqi airbase injuring American personnel.

"After repeated attacks on American troops in the region, and while Israel is under threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, the U.S. cannot hesitate to defend our servicemembers and our ally," Johnson said in a statement.

That was after several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack Monday against US and coalition forces at the Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq.

US defense chief Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant agreed Monday in a telephone call that the "Iran-aligned militia attack marked a dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran's destabilizing role in the region."

Johnson said any attack by Iran against Israel or American interests would be "unjustified and met with decisive force." He said the US and its allies in the region should work to "strongly counter Iran and its terror proxies to send a clear message against these malign activities."

"We know the current Iranian aggression, backed by Chinese and Russian interests, comes after a months-long pressure campaign against Israel from the Biden-Harris Administration. Now is the time for the White House to realize their choices have brought us to the brink of disaster and give full-throated support to Israel.

"President Biden must immediately release all previously withheld and delayed weapons to Israel — so it can defend its people and deter Iran — and make clear that there will be decisive economic, military, and international ramifications should Iran engage in or support any attacks," he added.

Regional tensions have escalated after Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, was assassinated in the Iranian capital of Tehran on July 31 after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president.

Hamas and Iran accused Israel of the assassination. Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed responsibility.

Israel is on high alert for a potential military response from Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which also vowed to retaliate following the death of senior commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli strike last week on a suburb of Beirut.