Pentagon spox on whether US will help Israeli attack on Iran: 'That’s a question for Israel'
A Pentagon spokesperson was pressed on how the Biden administration will react if Israel responds to Iran's unprecedented direct assault on "America's Newsroom" on Tuesday.
Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones from its own territory at Israel on Saturday, an attack that Israel claims was largely beaten back by its sophisticated defenses and the help of allies in the region. Attention has now turned to how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could choose to respond, as the Biden administration has reportedly urged Netanyahu to show restraint.
Fox News Channel's Bill Hemmer asked Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh about what Biden would do if Netanyahu asked for his help in an assault against Iran.
"The U.S. president apparently says if Israel strikes back, it will do it alone. What does that mean?" Hemmer asked.
Singh responded, "In Israel, the war cabinet is meeting today. They met yesterday. I'm not aware that a decision has been made, but that is really a sovereign decision for Israel to make. The president has been very clear that we stand with Israel and their self-defense. But we really don't want to see a wider war, a wider regional conflict, and we don't seek war with Iran."
Hemmer redirected Singh back to his original query.
"Okay, but back to the question: Will the U.S. help Israel if and when it chooses to respond?" Hemmer said.
Singh said, "That is a question for Israel to answer. They haven't made a decision that I'm aware of. The war cabinet is meeting now."
Hemmer again pressed Singh.
"If Benjamin Netanyahu asked the United States for help, would we answer that call?" he said.
"Look, I'm just not going to get into hypotheticals or conversations that we're having in private channels. What I can tell you is what we've reiterated publicly and privately is that we do not seek war with Iran. We do not want to see this widen out to a broader regional conflict," Singh responded.
Israeli forces targeted Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon in a barrage of airstrikes Sunday. Those attacks were aimed at eliminating a Hezbollah weapons manufacturing facility and other targets, the IDF said.
Whether Israel will use Iran's attack as an opportunity to target its nuclear program remains unclear, and the UN's nuclear watchdog agency, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), chief Rafael Grossi, said, "We are always concerned about this possibility."
According to a report from the Jerusalem Post, an attack on Iran’s nuclear capabilities has been the subject of years of planning.
"It’s hard to conceive of a world in which Israel responds to Iran’s crossing of red lines by merely absorbing Tehran’s missile and drone strikes. It’s even harder to think of such a world in a post-October 7 Middle East," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian security, said.
Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.