Kirby: US told Iran 'what we would do' if America troops are targeted (2024)

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John Kirby said the U.S. has communicated to Iran 'what we would do' if American troops or facilities are targeted amid rising conflict in the Middle East.

President Joe Biden's National Security Council (NSC) Spokesman reiterated that the U.S. does not plan to get involved with counter attacks against Iran on behalf of ally Israel – but will continue to help defend the Jewish nation.

Amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza, some Republican lawmakers are not pleased with the Biden administration response so far with the escalating conflict and want a direct response to the attacks last night from Iran and its proxies.

'The president has made it clear: We do not seek a war with Iran. We don't seek a wider war in the region,' Kirby told NBC host Kristen Welker Sunday morning.

When pressed by the Meet the Press host on whether Biden has ruled out a direct attack against Iran, Kirby reiterated: 'We don't seek a war with Iran.'

While Kirby says there have been no attacks on U.S. troops, personnel or facilities in the region so far, he claims the White House has warned Iran against taking such action after Tehran said it would target U.S. forces if they help Israel launch counter attacks.

'We are staying vigilant to exactly that potential threat, but we have not seen any attacks on U.S. troops or personnel in the region or our facilities and nothing to report to this morning,' Kirby said.

'But we're going to obviously watch that very, very closely.'

'I would just say we made it very clear to all parties, including Iran, what we would do, and how we would continue to defend Israel, and also how seriously we would take any potential threat to our personnel and our facilities in the region,' the NSC spokesperson added.

Iran launched more than 200 drones and missiles at Israel since Saturday night, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said.

The vast majority of the strikes were intercepted outside Israel's airspace. But a small number of the dozens of ground-to-ground Iranian missiles struck inside the nation, wounding a girl and causing damage to a military installation in the south, armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said early Sunday.

Iran said the attacks came in response to a drone strike at the beginning of April in Syria that left 12 Iranians dead, including two top generals.

Biden and his Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin have repeatedly said the U.S. will continue to help Israel defend itself against Iranian attacks, but have said Washington will not get involved in counter attacks.

It comes after Iran warned last week that if the U.S. conducts attacks, their forces will target American personnel and facilities in the region.

Biden had to cut his beach weekend short at his vacation house in Rehoboth, Delaware to address the rising conflict.

The president arrived at the beach on Friday – but returned to Washington, D.C. just 21 hours later to gather with his national security and defense teams.

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