Biden met with his national security team

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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden cut short a weekend at his Delaware beach house to meet with his national security team at the White House on Saturday and monitor the situation in the Middle East as Iran launches attacks against Israel.

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Tensions have reached their highest level since the start of the Israel-Hamas war six months ago after a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards. Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel, and US and Israeli officials are bracing for an attack, raising concerns that the conflict could escalate into a regional war.

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National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement on Saturday that “Iran has launched airstrikes against Israel.” He added, “The United States stands with the people of Israel and supports their defense against these threats from Iran.”

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Biden boarded a presidential helicopter from a park near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to return to Washington on Saturday afternoon, after Israeli officials confirmed that they had spotted drones flying into their territory from Iran. He planned to convene a key meeting of the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room to discuss the events and plan the US response.

According to the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made it clear to his Israeli counterpart “to discuss urgent regional threats… and that Israel can count on the full support of the United States to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies.” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also spoke to his counterpart to reinforce Washington's “strong commitment to Israel's security.”

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On Friday, Biden said the United States was “committed” to Israel's defense and that “Iran will not succeed.” When asked by reporters what message he had for Iran, the president's only answer was: “No.”

He sidestepped a question about what would prompt direct U.S. military action, and when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he did not want access to secure information, “but my expectation is early.”

The US and its allies have sent direct messages to Tehran to warn against further escalation of the conflict.

During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there were almost daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants on the Israel-Lebanon border. US officials have recorded more than 150 attacks on US forces at bases in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria since the war began on October 7.

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One attack in late January killed three US servicemen in Jordan. In response, the US launched a massive airstrike, hitting more than 85 targets in seven locations in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, commandos of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard shot down an Israeli container ship from a helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and seized it.

National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the US strongly condemned the seizure and called on Iran to immediately release the ship and crew.

“We will work with our colleagues to hold Iran accountable for its actions,” he said.

Also on Saturday, the Israeli-occupied West Bank saw some of the worst violence since Hamas attacked Israel.

— Price reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

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