As Iran rains rockets down on Israel, the White House has ordered the U.S. military to help Israel defend itself. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on X:
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.@POTUS and @VP convened two meetings with their national security team in the WH Situation Room today and are receiving regular updates. The President directed the US military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks & shoot down missiles targeting Israel. They also…
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) October 1, 2024
“The White House says US President Joe Biden convened a meeting earlier this morning with Vice President Kamala Harris and their national security advisers to discuss what was at the time Iran’s imminent attack on Israel,” reports the Times of Israel.
This falls in line with the muddled policy that the Biden-Harris administration is taking regarding Israel and Iran. The White House has continually pursued a nuclear deal similar to the one that the Obama administration made with Iran, while both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have signaled that Israel has been too stringent in defending itself.
The Associated Press is also reporting that Iraqi militias with Iran’s backing are warning of retaliation:
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Iran-backed Iraqi militias say if the U.S. takes part in “any hostile action” against Iran then American interests in the region will be under threat.
The statement Tuesday from the group calling itself the Coordination Committee for the Iraqi Resistance also warned Israel against using Iraqi airspace to retaliate against Iran for a missile barrage fired at Israel, saying “all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target.”
Iran-backed militias in Iraq regularly target bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria with drones, saying they are retaliating for Washington’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.