US will not help Israel retaliate against Iran, but seeks to increase funds
Al Jazeera
Biden’s decision comes after Iran launched the attack over a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria on April 1.
The United States will not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran, President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to US officials.
The reported declaration came in a phone call between the leaders late on Sunday as Israel mulls its response to Iran’s air attack the previous day. Despite the US president joining global calls for restraint, the rising tensions in the Middle East appear to be set to accelerate approval of a stalled funding package that would see Washington hand Netanyahu $14bn in aid.
“We believe Israel has freedom of action to protect itself and defend itself … That’s a longstanding policy and that remains, but no, we would not envision ourselves participating in such a thing,” a senior US administration official said on Sunday.
The Iranian attack, which came in response to a strike – as yet unclaimed by Israel – on Iran’s embassy in Syria on April 1, saw more than 300 missiles and drones launched towards Israel. However, it caused only modest damage, with most shot down by Israel, with help from the US, the United Kingdom, France and Jordan.
Israel’s five-member war cabinet, which met on Sunday evening, is reported to favour retaliation. However, division over the timing and scale of any response is said to persist.
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