Biden Pledges Support for Israel against Iran, as Attack Feared in ‘Coming Days’
WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – In a joint press conference on Wednesday with Japan’s visiting Prime Minister, U.S. President Joe Biden , quite deliberately, affirmed his support for Israel against any Iranian attack.
In opening remarks, Biden noted that Iran was “threatening to launch a significant attack on Israel.”
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Biden continued, “our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.”
And Biden repeated that, as he concluded, “Let me say it again: ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
Biden’s remarks came as a major U.S. media outlet, Bloomberg News, reported that “the U.S. and its allies believe major missile or drone strikes by Iran or its proxies against military and government targets in Israel are imminent.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is slated to pay his first visit to Washington early next week. He is to meet with Biden on Monday.
Safeen Dizayee, head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government will represent KRG interests as a member of that delegation.
Read More: Senior KRG Official to Participate in Iraqi PM’s talks in Washington
Whether merely by chance, or by Tehran’s intent, it is possible that the Iranian attack on Israel, assuming it really does occur, will coincide with Sudani’s visit, greatly complicating those discussions.
Retaliation for Israeli Strike on Iranian Consulate
On April 1, Israeli warplanes struck Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, where Iranian military leaders were meeting with members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ.)
Those killed in that attack included Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi who commanded the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC-QF) in Lebanon and Syria. Zahedi was in charge of Iran’s covert operations in the two countries, and that included smuggling weapons to the Palestinians.
Read More: Iran Sending Arms to West Bank Palestinians: New York Times
Following that attack, Tehran vowed revenge. But Biden would not speak in such terms on the basis of Iranian words alone. As Bloomberg indicated, there is intelligence to that effect.
Indeed, on Thursday, Russia’s foreign ministry took its own step, issuing a warning to its citizens.
“We strongly recommend that Russian citizens refrain from traveling to the region, particularly Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, except in cases of extreme necessity,” it said.
“When, Not If”
“The potential assault, possibly using high-precision missiles, may happen in the coming days,” sources told Bloomberg. “It is seen as more a matter of when, not if,” one source said, “based on assessments from U.S. and Israeli intelligence.”
The head of CENTCOM, Gen. Erik Kurilla, is expected in Israel on Thursday to prepare for coordination in the event of an attack by Iran or its proxy forces.