President Joe Biden condemned Iran's attacks on Israel

President Joe Biden announced in an official statement his condemnation of the unprecedented attack carried out by Iran against Israel.

Next, the text of President Biden’s statement, released by the White House.

“Earlier today, Iran (and its proxies operating from Yemen, Syria and Iraq) launched an unprecedented airstrike against military facilities in Israel. “I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.”

“At my direction, to support Israel’s defense, the U.S. military moved ballistic missile defense aircraft and destroyers to the region over the course of last week. Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our military, we helped Israel shoot down almost all incoming drones and missiles.”

“I just spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable ability to defend itself and defeat even unprecedented attacks, sending a clear message to its enemies that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security.”

“Tomorrow I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack. My team will collaborate with counterparts across the region. And we will remain in close contact with Israel’s leaders. And although we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect our people,” concludes President Joe Biden’s statement.

Administration officials considered Iran’s attacks on Israel on Saturday to be disproportionate to Israel’s attacks on Damascus that prompted the retaliation.

That view has been a major factor in discussions at the White House throughout the day about next steps, particularly as Biden is determined to prevent a large-scale regional conflict from breaking out.

Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Saturday night, as will Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his counterpart Yoav Gallant, and the two governments will remain in close contact in the coming hours and days.

Immediately after the Israeli strikes in Syria that killed top Iranian commanders, U.S. officials noted that Iran was preparing to launch a major attack against Israelconsidering it inevitable, in response to the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria.

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