Biden: U.S. Will Not Help Israel Retaliate Against Iran

United States President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. would not help Israel launch a counteroffensive against Iran, a White House official said on Sunday.

Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles at Israel Saturday night in response to an Israeli air strike on Iran’s Syrian consulate on April 1.

With the help of ally warplanes from the U.S., Britain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Israel’s Air Defense Force was able to intercept 99 percent of the missiles and drones.

‘Take the win’: In a phone call immediately after the attack, Biden reportedly told Netanyahu, “You got a win. Take the win,” and cautioned him not to respond militarily.

If Israel decides to retaliate against Iran, Biden said the U.S. would not support Israel like it did Saturday night. The success of deterring the attack, he said, showed the “remarkable capacity” of Israel to defend itself and was “a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.”

Vicious cycle: Despite America’s lack of support, Israel knows it must respond to Iran. But Israel is caught in a vicious cycle. America’s lack of commitment is enabling Iran to grow bolder in its attacks. And the harder Iran pushes, the more America backs down.

To learn more, read “Iran’s Attack on Israel: Made in America?”