Biden assures of "ironclad" support for Israel in case of an Iranian attack
Kyiv • UNN
Iran is threatening serious retaliation against Israel over an alleged Israeli airstrike that killed Iranian officials in Syria, prompting the United States to reaffirm its unwavering support for Israel's security.
U.S. President Joe Biden said that U.S. support for Israel in the event of an attack by Iran would be "unwavering," UNN reports citing Bild.
According to the BBC, Biden warned that the Iranians are threatening a "serious attack" on Israel, which U.S. officials fear could happen any day.
They believe that Tehran may respond to the April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, which killed high-ranking Iranian military officials.
"They are threatening to strike Israel with a serious blow. As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its satellites is ironclad. Let me say it again: ironclad. We intend to do everything we can to protect Israel's security," the President of the United States said.
There is growing concern in Washington about the increasingly aggressive rhetoric used by officials in Tehran, who have vowed to retaliate for an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus that killed seven senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Among those killed was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, an important figure in the Quds Force, the IRGC branch responsible for operations abroad. His deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, was also killed.
Iran and Syria then blamed the attack on Israel, which refrained from commenting.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday in a speech dedicated to the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that Israel "must be punished and will be punished" for the shelling of the Iranian consulate.
"The evil regime made a mistake in this regard, it must be punished and will be punished. Consulates and embassies in any country are the territory of the country to which they belong. When they attacked our consulate, it means they attacked our territory. This is a universal law," Khamenei said.