 "Explained: America’s big role in countering Iran's attack on Israel")
Tensions between Iran and Israel have reached a boiling point since Hamas’ deadly attack on 7 October. Over the weekend, Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Israel, sparking a regional conflict involving US military forces.
The attack, which included over 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, was Iran’s first direct military attack on a West Asian country. The incident marked the end of a tense two weeks in which Washington engaged in whirlwind efforts to prepare for the expected violence, after Tehran repeatedly threatened to hit back in response to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two top officers at the beginning of the month.
US military took swift action destroying four to six ballistic missiles, shooting down around 70 Iranian drones, with US president Joe Biden closely monitoring the situation.
Here’s how Washington helped counter Iran’s attack on Israel.
Iranian attack
Iran launched a barrage of more than 100 medium-range ballistic missiles, more than 30 land-attack cruise missiles and more than 150 attack drones at Israel, a senior US military official said.
Two American warships — the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Carney — destroyed between four and six ballistic missiles, while US aircraft shot down more than 70 Iranian drones, the military official said.
A Patriot missile battery also shot down a ballistic missile that was headed toward Israel in the area of the northern Iraq city of Arbil.
President Joe Biden spent Saturday evening receiving real-time updates in the Situation Room at the White House as the attack unfolded.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“At one point, we knew there were over 100 ballistic missiles in the sky” and “the results of the defences of course were unclear until all was said and done,” a senior administration official said, describing the tense atmosphere.
The catalyst
Israel carried out a strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus on 1 April, killing seven Revolutionary Guards including two generals and prompting warnings from Tehran that it would respond.
Top US officials were pulled aside and informed of details about the strike during a visit by the Israeli ambassador and defence attack at the White House, the senior administration official said.
“We were not a part of that strike” but “we knew that that would have repercussions,” the official said.
**Also Read: Iran vs Israel: How the two countries went from friends to foes**A few days later, Biden instructed the government “to defend Israel to the maximum extent possible” and to ensure that all necessary authorities and assets were in place to do so — a directive that sent officials into action.
US preparations
Ahead of the attack, US officials including Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were in “constant, ongoing, continuous contact” with the Israelis, as well as with other countries in the West Asia.
General Erik Kurilla, the head of the US military command responsible for the region, was dispatched to the region and provided real-time updates as well as coordinating with the Israelis and other partners.
The United States was in touch with Iran as well, sending “a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel,” the senior administration official said.
Washington also deployed additional military assets to the region “to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” a US defence official said last week.
The future
The US goal since the start of the latest round of conflict between Israel and Hamas six months ago has been to prevent it from spiralling into a broader regional conflict, and Washington is keen to lower the temperature in the region.
**Also Read: How Israel shielded itself from more than 300 Iranian drones, missiles**“We would not be a part of any response they do,” the senior administration official said of possible Israeli action after the attack. “We would not envision ourselves participating in such an act.”
Israel has meanwhile “made clear to us they’re not looking for a significant escalation with Iran,” but “a big question is not only whether, but what Israel might choose to do,” the official said.
With inputs from AFP
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