Israel says it has carried out attacks on targets in Iran

Israel’s targeted, retaliatory attack on Iran is expected to be the last of the back-and-forth, direct military actions between the two countries, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration said tonight.

“This should be the end of the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran,” the official said. “As far as we’re concerned, that should shut out the direct exchange between Israel and Iran.”

The official said this is the “very strong view” of the United States and “it has been communicated to our partners throughout the region.”

The official said Biden and his security team “worked with the Israelis over the past few weeks to encourage Israel to conduct a targeted and proportionate response with a low risk of civilian harm and that is exactly what happened tonight.”

In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Biden said any attack should be designed to deter further attacks on Israel and reduce the risk of further escalation, the official said.

“We don’t want to see that happen,” the official said, referring to any possibility Iran could react.

The source stressed that the US had no direct role in Israel’s strikes, which came “in several waves”. But if Iran directly targets Israel, the US has pledged to support its ally.

“Should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to once again defend ourselves against any attack,” the official said.