US Assists Israel in Shooting Down Iranian Missiles
The Pentagon has confirmed that the US military played an active role in helping Israel intercept a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles on Tuesday. According to US officials, roughly a dozen interceptors were launched by two Navy destroyers stationed in the region to counter the attack, which saw about 180 missiles fired towards Israel.
President Joe Biden stated that he had authorized this support and spent the morning monitoring the situation from the White House’s Situation Room. He praised the joint effort, emphasizing that it underscored the strength of both Israeli and US defense capabilities. “Based on initial assessments, the attack was largely neutralized,” Biden said, adding that the US remains in ongoing discussions about potential further responses to Iran.
In a statement defending the missile strike, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the attack a “decisive” move in defense of Iran’s interests, following recent killings of key Iranian and allied figures. The Iranian military claimed the missile strikes were retaliation for Israel’s targeted assassinations of several high-ranking leaders, including Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoshan.
Videos circulated online showed the dramatic scenes of missile interceptions over Tel Aviv, with alerts blaring across the city, followed by the thunderous sounds of rockets being intercepted. Despite the scale of the attack, the Israeli military reported that the vast majority of the incoming missiles were intercepted.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed that the missiles were all launched from Iran, though it was unclear whether the US interceptors hit their targets. He also said the Pentagon had no advance warning of the attack.
The escalation comes at a sensitive time, as President Biden has been trying to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading across the region. National security adviser Jake Sullivan labeled the missile attack as a “significant escalation,” promising severe consequences in coordination with Israel.
While the US has urged caution in previous incidents, the rhetoric this time is noticeably firmer. Sullivan declined to detail what the consequences might entail, but said deterrence and diplomacy were still part of the US strategy for de-escalation in the region.
Iran, however, warned against any direct military response in support of Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the missile barrage, framing it as revenge for the assassination of key commanders and leaders of Iran-backed militias in Lebanon and Gaza.
As tensions heighten, the region braces for possible retaliatory strikes, with diplomatic channels working to prevent further escalation into a broader conflict.
