By Seyi Babalola
US President Joe Biden has pledged that his nation is “ironclad” in its resolve to defend Israel against Iran.
This relates to Washington’s worries that an imminent “significant” Iranian strike may occur.
Iran has reportedly not wavered in its determination to exact revenge for the bombing of its consulate in Damascus, according to reports.
Instead of attacking through a proxy like Hezbollah in Lebanon, authorities in the United States and its allies believe that an assault is close and may take the form of a direct missile launch from Iran.
A regional war is now more conceivable than at any other time since the start of the Gaza conflict on October 7, according to US officials, as Israel has pledged to retaliate in kind.
Biden’s pledge of support to Israel at the White House, intended as a deterrent, came a few hours after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, repeated a threat to strike back against Israel over the Damascus bombing that killed 12 people, including Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and six other guard members.
“When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory,” Khamenei said, in remarks broadcast by Iranian state TV.
“The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished,” he added.
Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, responded in a post on the X social media platform, vowing that: “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran.”
Biden’s pledge to Israel on the White House lawn, in a joint appearance with the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, appeared to be a response to that warning, insisting the US would not stay on the sidelines.
“We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant – they’re threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel,” Biden said.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad.
“Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re gonna do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
