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US says Israeli attack on Iran should ‘complete’ exchange of fire
The White House has said that Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran should end direct exchanges of fire between the two countries, while also warning Tehran of “consequences” should it respond.
A senior White House official said the Biden administration believed the Israeli operation should “close out” the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran. US President Joe Biden was updated as the Israeli operation was developing and as the attacks were carried out by the Israelis, the official said.
The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the US had no involvement in the strike.
Israel's response to Iran shows US can influence Tel Aviv "when it wants to," analyst says
Israel’s highly calculated response to Iran Saturday shows that the United States can influence Israel’s actions in the region “when it wants to,” geopolitical analyst H. A. Hellyer told CNN.
“Israel will calculate its own responses, keeping in mind that the United States is its closest ally, its indispensable ally, and thus far, a pretty solid ally in terms of not placing any conditions or restrictions on how Israel prosecutes the war on Gaza, how it proceeds in terms of strikes and (its) invasion of Lebanon, and of course, these strikes on Iran,” Hellyer told CNN’s Paula Newton on Saturday.
A senior US administration official said that US President Joe Biden “encouraged” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to “design” a retaliatory attack against Iran that would “deter future attacks against Israel.”
The US also advised Israel against any actions that could escalate tensions in the Middle East more widely, Hellyer, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies in London, said.
“I think that the engagement of the US in this regard was significant, but frankly, it also shows when the US wants to push Israel to modify its behavior, it can do so,” he continued. “And as of yet, what we’ve seen is really unbridled for Israel in terms of the war in Gaza and that sort of pressure (could) be welcomed there.”
Arab states’ condemnation of Israeli strikes on Iran reflect deep concerns over escalation
A host of Arab states have condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran in a sign of concerns over further regional escalation. Without mentioning Israel by name, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) foreign ministry “expressed deep concern” over the continued escalation.
Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse and a historic foe of Iran, also did not mention Israel but condemned the “military targeting” of Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and contravention of international law, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Qatar and Kuwait separately condemned the Israeli strikes and Egypt expressed deep concern over regional escalation.
Diplomacy at work: US-allied Gulf Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the world’s top oil producers, have in recent years steered their foreign policies away from conflict to serve their economic interests. This has seen them repair ties with former adversaries like Iran.
“After more than a year of military confrontations and (their) unfortunate humanitarian and political repercussions, the region needs a different path that favors diplomatic work and political solutions, and pushes towards reducing escalation and confrontations in favor of communication and dialogue channels,” the UAE’s presidential diplomatic adviser, Anwar Gargash, said on X Saturday.
Countries across the Middle East who historically viewed Iran as their primary regional adversary opted to engage the Islamic Republic in intensive diplomacy ahead of the Israeli strikes.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi traveled across the Middle East over the past month for meetings with regional leaders. Days before the Israeli strike, Aragchi claimed that he received assurances from several countries that their airspaces would not be used by Israel for the strike.
Malaysia condemns Israel’s attack on Iran
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry has released a statement in response to Israel’s overnight attacks on sites in Iran, labelling the strikes a “clear violation of international law” that “seriously undermine regional security”.
“Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the cycle of violence,” the statement said. The Foreign Ministry added that Israel’s continued attacks on countries in the Middle East continue to bring the region closer to the brink of a wider war.
