US President Joe Biden has clearly expressed his strong disapproval of Iran’s missile assault on Israel, and expressed his commitment, along with other Western leaders, to work towards preventing further turmoil in the Middle East. A statement was released after an emergency G7 gathering on Sunday, candidly expressing concern that Iran’s attack could lead to an unforeseen regional escalation. In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Saturday, President Biden encouraged him to view Israel’s successful resistance of the aerial attack, made possible through a joint Israeli-US military effort, as a “victory”.
Biden reassured Netanyahu that the US’s unwavering dedication to Israel’s safety remained strong, interpreting Iran’s act of aggression as testament to the strength of Israel’s military capability. The Iranian military launched over 300 missiles, consisting of 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) managed to intercept almost all of these using a combination of Israeli and US missile defence destroyers.
Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz commended Israel on Sunday as a cornerstone of security in the Middle East. He thanked the IDF’s commanders and soldiers before promising that Israel would establish a regional coalition and retaliate against Iran on their own terms. The missile strike by Iran is thought to be a retaliatory response to a bombing by Israel on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria. This attack took the lives of several military officials, including one from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The large scale of Saturday’s attack by Iran, carried out with slow drones and disclosed ahead of time, has led to speculation in the US that Iran’s motives were more to send a message than to cause injuries or destruction. General Mohammad Bagheri, speaking on Iranian state television, stated that Iran’s attack on Israel had been successful in reaching its objectives and that, as far as they were concerned, the operation was over. Yet, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Sunday that Israel and its allies would face a stronger reaction should they behave irresponsibly.
The G7’s acknowledgement of the enduring suffering in Gaza came through a statement, in which the leaders pledged to boost collaboration to resolve the Gaza crisis. This involves working toward an immediate ceasefire, facilitating the release of hostages held by Hamas, and enhancing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need. The G7 is an intergovernmental political platform composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the EU also participating, but considered a ‘non-enumerated member.’
US President Joe Biden returned to the White House from his Delaware beach house on Saturday afternoon amid confirmation of reports of a brewing Iranian attack. This new indication of Middle East volatility fuelled amplifying condemnation of Biden from Republican critics, including ex-President Donald Trump. They interpret Biden’s foreign policies as overly concessive. Numerous influential Republican politicians, Marco Rubio, a Florida senator and past presidential candidate who is currently vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, among them, believe that Iran’s ultimate aim is to render Israel ‘inhospitable.’
Rubio stated that ‘Iran may be unable to defeat Israel militarily, but it aspires to transform Israel into an unliveable and undesirable location to visit. Concerning the recent attack, a lot of discussions have centered on its performative nature and its failure to penetrate Israel’s defenses. This is commendable, but we should still consider the impact on Israel’s tourism metrics today and in the following weeks. What might the implications be for business activities?’
According to Rubio, these elements harm the Jewish state, aligning with the objective of Iran. However, his focus on tourism contrasts uncomfortably with the significant civilian casualties in Gaza in the last few months. Some fear that the tension between Iran and Israel may unintentionally detract from the urgent necessity for humanitarian aid in Gaza. Nonetheless, this is unlikely to lessen the internal pressure on Biden from Democrats who believe he has not sufficiently pressured Israel to implement relief actions.