The United States remains committed to defending Israel in the event of an Iranian attack, said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.
Kirby told Channel 12 News that it is difficult to predict the chances of an attack, but the White House is taking Iran’s rhetoric seriously.
“We believe that they are still ready to launch an attack if they choose to do so, which is why we have an enhanced force posture in the region,” Kirby said.
He said that US messaging to Iran is consistent and will remain consistent.
“One, don’t do it. There’s no reason to escalate this. There’s no reason to potentially start some sort of all-out regional war. And number two, we’ll be ready to defend Israel if that happens,” Kirby said.
Iran has vowed revenge after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, for which Israel is widely held responsible. It was announced on several occasions that Iran would soon attack, which did not happen.
Iran’s top military commander confirmed on Monday that Tehran would certainly retaliate for Israel’s killing of the head of Hamas, noting that a decision on such a response would be made separately from the actions of the resistance forces against Israel.
In remarks on Monday, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, described the Israeli regime’s assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran as an unforgettable issue.
“The revenge for the blood of the martyr Haniyeh at the hands of the axis of resistance and the Islamic Republic of Iran is definitive,” the commander-in-chief said.
He stated that Iran will not fall into the enemy’s trap of media provocations and games.
