U.S. President Joe Biden holds a press conference at the conclusion 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 spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday, as President Joe Biden aims to cool down the situation through 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 keep this from becoming a broader regional war, to keep the tensions from escalating.”
Iran launched several hundred drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, most of which were intercepted through a coordinated effort between Israel, the U.S. and other partners in the region.
The Biden administration has been working to deescalate the fallout of the attempted strike, which at first seemed to have the potential to trigger full-out war in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Biden convened G-7 leaders to discuss the Iran attack. The meeting was planned “to coordinate a united diplomatic response,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday, indicating that the White House was committed to responding through diplomacy rather than military retaliation.
On Saturday, Iran said its attack “can be deemed concluded,” according to a statement from Iran’s U.N. mission, hinting that the escalation might be cooling, at least for the moment.
“Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the statement added.
Tehran previously warned that it was planning retaliatory moves in response to an attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which it holds Israel responsible for. Israel, in turn, vowed to “react and attack” if Iran were to go through with those threats.
On a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, Biden said that the U.S. would not participate in offensive operations against Iran, though the U.S. is still committed to helping Israel defend itself, a senior administration official told NBC News.
“It’s going to be up to the Israelis to decide what the next step is here,” Kirby said.