By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden stepped up solidarity with Israel on Saturday after meeting with his national security team to discuss Iran’s drone and missile attack on the American ally, which has raised concerns about a broader conflagration in the Middle East.
Biden cut short a weekend trip to his home state of Delaware and returned to Washington to meet with Cabinet members and other top U.S. officials.
“Just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks on Israel,” Biden said in a post on X after the meeting. “Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.”
Iran launched dozens of drones at Israel on Saturday that will take hours to reach their targets, the Israeli military said, an attack that could trigger an escalation between the bitter regional foes.
Tehran had vowed to respond to the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy compound last week in Damascus, which killed a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force and six other officers.
The White House said Biden was regularly briefed on developments in the region, where the U.S. military shot down Iranian drone planes headed toward Israel, according to three U.S. officials.
The meeting in the Situation Room, a crisis management center located inside the West Wing of the White House, was attended by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency William Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Hines, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and other officials, the White House said.
On Saturday, Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss “urgent regional threats,” the Pentagon said, and reiterated America’s full support for Israel against attacks by Iran and its proxies.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, conveyed a similar message of US support to his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, he said in a post on X.
Israel subsequently put its military on full alert and canceled all educational and other activities aimed at young people.
Biden on Friday warned Iran against retaliation even as he predicted the attack could be imminent. “We are dedicated to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said.
Top lawmakers from the Democratic and Republican parties have expressed support for Israel against an Iranian attack.
The US House of Representatives will adjust its agenda to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in a statement.