US President Joe Biden holds a press conference at the end of the G7 Summit, in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The White House is taking a “wait and see” approach in response to Iran’s attempted strike on Israel, National Security spokesman John Kirby said Sunday, as President Joe Biden aims to defuse the situation by diplomacy rather than military action.
“I think we have to wait and see what the Israelis decide to do,” Kirby said on “Fox News Sunday.” “President Biden, since the beginning of this conflict, has worked very hard to prevent it from becoming a wider regional war, to prevent the escalation of tensions.”
Iran launched several hundred aerial weapons, including more than 100 ballistic missiles, at Israel on Saturday, most of which were intercepted by a coordinated effort between Israel, the US and other regional partners.
“There is almost no infrastructure damage in Israel,” a senior administration official told reporters on a call on Sunday.
The Biden administration is trying to minimize the fallout of the attempted strike, which at first seemed to have the potential to trigger a full-scale war in the Middle East.
“If successful, this attack could cause uncontrolled escalation and widespread conflict in the region, something we have been working day and night to prevent since October 7,” the official said.
Israel has made it clear to the US that “they are not looking for a significant escalation in Iran,” the official added.
On Sunday, Biden convened G-7 leaders to discuss the attack on Iran. The meeting was planned “to coordinate a unified diplomatic response,” Biden said in a statement Saturday, indicating that the White House is committed to responding through diplomacy rather than military retaliation.
During the meeting, G-7 leaders discussed sanctions measures and the possibility of other countries joining the US in designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, according to the official.
“We will continue to work to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation,” the leaders said in a statement following their meeting.
On Saturday, Iran said its attack “can be considered finished,” according to a statement from the Iran’s mission to the UNindicating that the rise may be cooling, at least for the moment.
“When the Israeli regime makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be more severe,” the statement added.
Tehran has previously warned that it is planning reprisals in response to the attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which it blamed on Israel. Israel has vowed to “react and attack” if Iran continues those threats.
In a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, Biden said the US would not participate in offensive operations against Iran, though the US remains committed to helping Israel defend itself, a senior administration official told NBC News.
“It will be up to the Israelis to decide what the next step is,” Kirby said.
