The vice president Kamala Harris condemned the attack Iran against Israelin which he fired nearly 200 missiles in retaliation for the deaths of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.
Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said Tuesday that Iran was a “dangerous” and “destabilizing” force in the Middle East and that the United States is committed to Israel’s security.
Harris noted: “Iran is not only a threat to Israel, Iran is also a threat to US personnel in the region, US interests, and innocent civilians throughout the region who suffer at the hands of terrorist proxies based and supported in Iran”.
The comments from Harris, who will face former Republican President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, came hours after Iran to fire ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, which caused promises of a forceful response from Israel and the United States.
“I am clear that Iran is a destabilizing and dangerous force in the Middle East,” Harris said. “I will always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist militias.”
“I fully support President Biden’s order for the US military to shoot down Iranian missiles aimed at Israel,” Harris said. “The initial indications are that Israel, with our help, was able to defeat this attack.”
Harris added that The United States will work with its allies to disrupt what it called Iran’s “aggressive behavior.”
The White House said President Joe Biden convened a meeting this morning with Vice President Kamala Harris and his national security advisers to discuss what was at the time an imminent attack by Iran on Israel.
The White House statement was issued after Iran’s attack on Israel had already begun.
“They reviewed the status of US preparations to help Israel defend itself against these attacks and protect US personnel in the region,” the White House said in the statement.
Israel has escalated its military campaign in Lebanon in recent days, killing hundreds of people and displacing more than a million due to operations that Israel says target Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militants.
Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon adds to its war in Gazawhich followed a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants.
The Israeli military assault on Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities, displaced nearly all residents, sparked a hunger crisis and led to accusations of genocide that Israel denies.
Keep reading:
• Iran launches missiles towards Israel, reports Israeli army
• The US warns of an imminent attack by Iran with ballistic missiles as Israel advances its invasion of southern Lebanon
• US and Israel agree to dismantle “attack infrastructure” in Lebanon
