Top U.S. officials worry that Israel may react quickly to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile threats and start a regional battle that might involve the U.S.
Three sources said President Joe Biden, who has officially reaffirmed his administration's “ironclad” commitment to Israel's protection, has privately worried that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to escalate the situation.
A senior administration official said Biden called Netanyahu Saturday night to say the U.S. will not attack Iran and that Israel should not retaliate.
Iran's retaliatory offensive Saturday, which bombarded Israeli airspace with hundreds of drones and missiles but caused little damage, was unprecedented but calculated to deter without starting a conflict.
Within hours following the strike, Iranian military chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said the attack had “concluded and we are not willing to continue it.”
On Sunday, an Israeli prime minister's office official told that “Israel is going to consult with all its partners, but ultimately it’s Israel’s decision as to what the response will be.”
“Israel can't allow such a large attack over Israel without a response, be it small or large,” the official said. “The war Cabinet decides now.”
Since Israel's April 1 attack of an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, U.S. authorities expected Iran to respond. They questioned the threat's severity and Israel's response given a military strategy that a senior administration official and a senior defense official, citing internal conversations, have called poorly considered, “frenetic” and “catastrophically escalatory” in interviews.
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