Advertising
Britain’s defense secretary said British jets were in a position to intercept Iranian attacks. France and Germany expressed their support.
By Gaya Gupta and Emma Bubola
The U. S. military said it shot down dozens of drones and missiles that Iran fired at Israel on Saturday, making clear that despite recent complaints about Israel’s warlike conduct in Gaza, Washington was firmly committed to protecting a key best friend of Iran. mutual adversary.
President Biden said the U. S. had “helped Israel destroy nearly every incoming drone and missile,” thanks in part to the military planes and ships the Pentagon flew to the region last week.
While Biden expresses frustration over the Israeli military’s offensive in Gaza (calling its bombings there “indiscriminate” and saying Israel has not done enough to protect Palestinian civilians), he has maintained that when it comes to Iran, America’s commitment to Israel is “ironclad. “
“We’re going to protect Israel and help Israel,” he said, “and Iran won’t succeed. “
The U. S. has consistently asserted Israel’s right to protect itself and has also intervened militarily by opposing attacks through Iranian-mandated forces, adding the Yemen-based Houthi militia.
This year, the U. S. military has carried out countermeasures to Iranian forces and allied militias in Syria and Iraq in reaction to a drone strike in Jordan that killed 3 U. S. soldiers. And in 2020, the U. S. killed a very sensible Iranian commander, the major. General Qassim Suleimani, with a drone strike at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak showed that Britain had helped protect Israel from the Iranian attack, saying the British Air Force had shot down “a number of Iranian attack drones” and would now work with allies to ease tensions. “What we want now is ‘calm will prevail,'” Sunak told the BBC.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said Israel had intercepted as many as 200 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles smuggled through Iran with “some help” from its allies. “For the past six months, we have been executing in close coordination with our partners,” he said, adding, “This partnership has been strong, but last night it was exceptionally evident. “
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the Iranian attack and affirmed his support for Israel, writing in a message on X that France was committed “to the security of Israel, our partners and regional stability. “
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a country that last week opposed accusations that its arms sales to Israel were fomenting genocide in Gaza, called the Iranian attacks “unjustifiable and highly irresponsible. “
“Germany supports Israel and we will discuss the scenario with our allies,” he said on social media.
The Jordanian government, a staunch critic of Israel’s war effort in Gaza, said Sunday that its military shot down planes and missiles that entered its airspace following the Iranian attack.
CNN’s Eric Schmitt, Patrick Kingsley and Farnaz Fassihi contributed reporting.
Gaya Gupta is a journalist who covers and is a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship, a program for early-career journalists. Learn more about Gaya Gupta
Emma Bubola is a journalist for the Times of London and covers news from across Europe and the world. Learn more about Emma Bubola
Advertising