A day after an unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel, the Biden administration continues to urge Israel in private and in public not to rush into a massive retaliation, three U.S. officials said.
Why it matters: The U.S. assessment is Iran would retaliate against any significant, overt Israeli strike on Iranian soil with a new round of missile and drone attacks, a senior U.S. official said.
President Biden told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call on Saturday that the U.S. won't support any Israeli counterattack against Iran, a senior White House official told Axios.
Why it matters: Biden and his senior advisers are highly concerned an Israeli response to Iran's attack on Israel would lead to a regional war with catastrophic consequences, U.S.officials said.
Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday night local time in retaliation for an airstrike in Syria that killed a top Iranian general.
The big picture: It's the first attack Iran has launched from its soil against Israel. U.S. officials are concerned an Israeli retaliation against Iran will lead to another regional escalation.
President Biden decided to cut short his weekend vacation and return to the White House on Saturday for consultations ahead of a possible Iranian attack against Israel, the White House said.
Why it matters: Biden's decision signals that the White House thinks the Iranian attack could be imminent and take place within hours, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
