The United States warned Iran that it would face severe consequences for its ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, saying the barrage marked a significant escalation but appeared to have been thwarted.
President Joe Biden expressed solid U.S. support for Israel and described Iran’s attack as ineffective. He said there was a discussion under way about how Israel would respond, and he planned to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House. “We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case.”
Sullivan did not specify what those consequences might be, but he stopped short of urging restraint by Israel as the U.S. did in April when Iran carried out a drone and missile attack on Israel.
Biden was reported to have urged Netanyahu to “take the win” and refrain from retaliation after Iran’s April attack to avoid a wider regional war, given that Israel was largely unscathed.
Some analysts said Israel’s response would likely be sharper this time, suggesting it could target Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities, while other experts said the U.S. was still expected to work behind the scenes to rein in Israel’s response.
“The United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” Biden later told reporters, while adding that it remains to be seen how Israel will respond.Iran’s ballistic missile attack marks a steep escalation of tensions in the region, despite months of intense negotiations by the Biden administration and regular pledges that a ceasefire to end the Gaza conflict was imminent.
Biden, in the waning months of his term, already faces sharp criticism at home and abroad for U.S. military support of Israel, as does his Vice President and the Democrats’ presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Former President Donald Trump issued a statement after Iran’s missile launch but didn’t directly address the strike.
“Iran has been exporting terror all over the world, and it’s been just unraveling. The whole Middle East has been unraveling,” said Trump, who will face Harris in the Nov. 5 election.
Harris said Iran was a dangerous and destabilizing force in the Middle East and Washington was committed to Israel’s security.
