Washington, Oct 2 ( ) The Iranian missile attack against Israel appears to have been defeated and ineffective, said US President Joe Biden, hours after Tehran fired almost 200 missiles at Israel.
The Israeli military reportedly said there were no reports of injuries from the attack.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said: "At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defense of Israel. We are still assessing the impact but, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and to be ineffective". and this is a testament to Israeli military capability... (It is) also a testament to the intensive planning (between) the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack." "Make no mistake, the United States fully supports Israel. And I spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the situation room, meeting with my entire national security team... The national security team, as I said, is in constant contact with Israeli officials and counterparts..." he added .
Biden ordered the US military to help defend Israel against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles aimed at the country, the White House said.
While most of the missiles were destroyed before reaching their target, some impacted and caused minimal damage, said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder. Two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the USS Cole and the USS Bulkeley, deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, fired a dozen interceptors against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles as part of their defense of Israel, he added.
In condemning the attack, Vice President Kamala Harris said: "I condemn this attack unequivocally. I am clear-eyed: Iran is a destabilizing and dangerous force in the Middle East and today's attack on Israel only further demonstrates that fact."
Iran is not only a threat to Israel but also to US personnel in the region, US interests and innocent civilians throughout the region who suffer at the hands of terrorist proxies based and supported by Iran, he added. "We will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend American forces and interests against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorists. And we will continue to work with our allies and partners to disrupt Iran's aggressive behavior and hold them accountable," Harris said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that this was Iran's second direct attack on Israel in five months.
"This is totally unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it," he said. "Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack. We have demonstrated, once again, our commitment to defense of Israel. We will continue to be in very close contact with Israel and other partners in the region in the coming hours and days," Blinken said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that the US military coordinated closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to help defend Israel against the attack.
"Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective. This was primarily the result of the IDF's professionalism, but largely due to the skillful work of the US military and meticulous joint planning in anticipation of the attack," he said. "We are also aware of reports of a terrorist attack in Jaffa that today claimed the lives of several Israeli civilians and injured several others. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims and to the family of the man. Palestinian civilian in Jericho...", he added.
Sullivan also said that the United States would consult with the Israelis on next steps in terms of response.
Before and during the attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, Ryder said. "He reaffirmed America's strong commitment to the defense of Israel and stressed that the United States maintains a good posture in throughout the Middle East region to protect U.S. forces and defend Israel against threats from Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist organizations." said.
Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, blamed the Biden administration for the attack.
"The world is on fire and out of control. We have no leadership, no one is running the country. We have a non-existent president in Joe Biden and a completely absent vice president, Kamala Harris, who is too busy fundraising in San Francisco... Nobody is in charge and it's not even clear who is more confused: Biden or Kamala. Neither of them have any idea what is going on," he said in a statement. "When I was president, Iran was in total control. cash, totally contained and desperate for a deal. Kamala flooded them with American money and since then they have been exporting terror everywhere... 'President Trump', we had no war in the Middle East, no war in Europe, no harmony in Asia, no inflation, no catastrophe in Afghanistan. Instead, we had peace. Now, war or the threat of war is wreaking havoc everywhere "Two incompetents who run this country are taking us to the brink of the Third. World War. "You wouldn't trust Joe or Kamala to run a lemonade stand, much less lead the free world," Trump said.
The Israeli military reportedly said there were no reports of injuries from the attack.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said: "At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defense of Israel. We are still assessing the impact but, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and to be ineffective". and this is a testament to Israeli military capability... (It is) also a testament to the intensive planning (between) the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack." "Make no mistake, the United States fully supports Israel. And I spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the situation room, meeting with my entire national security team... The national security team, as I said, is in constant contact with Israeli officials and counterparts..." he added .
Biden ordered the US military to help defend Israel against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles aimed at the country, the White House said.
While most of the missiles were destroyed before reaching their target, some impacted and caused minimal damage, said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder. Two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the USS Cole and the USS Bulkeley, deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, fired a dozen interceptors against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles as part of their defense of Israel, he added.
In condemning the attack, Vice President Kamala Harris said: "I condemn this attack unequivocally. I am clear-eyed: Iran is a destabilizing and dangerous force in the Middle East and today's attack on Israel only further demonstrates that fact."
Iran is not only a threat to Israel but also to US personnel in the region, US interests and innocent civilians throughout the region who suffer at the hands of terrorist proxies based and supported by Iran, he added. "We will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend American forces and interests against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorists. And we will continue to work with our allies and partners to disrupt Iran's aggressive behavior and hold them accountable," Harris said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that this was Iran's second direct attack on Israel in five months.
"This is totally unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it," he said. "Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack. We have demonstrated, once again, our commitment to defense of Israel. We will continue to be in very close contact with Israel and other partners in the region in the coming hours and days," Blinken said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that the US military coordinated closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to help defend Israel against the attack.
"Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective. This was primarily the result of the IDF's professionalism, but largely due to the skillful work of the US military and meticulous joint planning in anticipation of the attack," he said. "We are also aware of reports of a terrorist attack in Jaffa that today claimed the lives of several Israeli civilians and injured several others. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims and to the family of the man. Palestinian civilian in Jericho...", he added.
Sullivan also said that the United States would consult with the Israelis on next steps in terms of response.
Before and during the attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, Ryder said. "He reaffirmed America's strong commitment to the defense of Israel and stressed that the United States maintains a good posture in throughout the Middle East region to protect U.S. forces and defend Israel against threats from Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist organizations." said.
Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, blamed the Biden administration for the attack.
"The world is on fire and out of control. We have no leadership, no one is running the country. We have a non-existent president in Joe Biden and a completely absent vice president, Kamala Harris, who is too busy fundraising in San Francisco... Nobody is in charge and it's not even clear who is more confused: Biden or Kamala. Neither of them have any idea what is going on," he said in a statement. "When I was president, Iran was in total control. cash, totally contained and desperate for a deal. Kamala flooded them with American money and since then they have been exporting terror everywhere... 'President Trump', we had no war in the Middle East, no war in Europe, no harmony in Asia, no inflation, no catastrophe in Afghanistan. Instead, we had peace. Now, war or the threat of war is wreaking havoc everywhere "Two incompetents who run this country are taking us to the brink of the Third. World War. "You wouldn't trust Joe or Kamala to run a lemonade stand, much less lead the free world," Trump said.
