Iran Attacks Unify American Position in Support of Israel

Former CENTCOM Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: I am concerned about a broader regional conflict.

Israeli defenses intercept Iranian drones and missiles. (Reuters)
Israeli defenses intercept Iranian drones and missiles. (Reuters)
TT

Iran Attacks Unify American Position in Support of Israel

Israeli defenses intercept Iranian drones and missiles. (Reuters)
Israeli defenses intercept Iranian drones and missiles. (Reuters)

The American administration and Congressmen are anticipating a potential Israeli response to the rocket and drone attack launched against it by Iran overnight on Saturday.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, former American officials agreed on the need to avert a broader military escalation in the region.

The attack managed to unify the ranks of Democratic and Republican legislators in support of Israel, with voices that were critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza dying down.

Concern and anticipation

Former US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Joseph Votel expressed his deep concern over Iran waging attacks against Israel from its own territory.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said: “It is very concerning that Iran appears to have launched attacks from their own territory. I now believe that Israel feels, given the size and scope of the attack launched against them, that they must respond.”

“I am concerned, as others are, that this will lead to another round of escalation and a broader regional conflict - leading to more instability,” he added.

“I think the US reaction is appropriate at this point - strong support in defending Israel but emphasizing the need not to expand the conflict and get this situation back into the diplomatic channels,” Votel went on to say.

Former Assistant Secretary of State for political-military affairs General Mark Kimmitt told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I am hoping that President Joe Biden and the Israeli War Cabinet can prevent Prime Minister Netanyahu from escalating the situation further.”

Former strategy and policy director for Qatar and Kuwait in the Pentagon Adam Clements said: ““The level of sophistication and volume of drones and missiles in a direct Iranian response sets a new precedent in the current shadow war between it and Israel.”

“Israel must have known Iran would need to respond in a way to ‘save face’ in response to the bombing of its diplomatic facilities in Syria. It is telling that Iran has already publicly signaled its intention to not escalate the situation further,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

On the American stance on the situation, he warned: “An escalation in the conflict is detrimental to the security and economic development of the entire region.”

“The US response should be viewed as not only its commitment to helping Israel defend itself, but to also to protect the wider region from further conflict,” he stressed.

Former advisor for Iran to ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Gabriel Noronha said Iran's launching over 300 drones and missiles against Israel was a significant escalation and since the drones and missiles originated from Iranian territory.

“The attack is estimated to have cost Israel over a billion US dollars in defensive weapons used to intercept the incoming munitions. But Iran doesn't appear to have actually killed any Israelis or hit any significant targets,” he noted to Asharq Al-Awsat.

“This remains a tactical win for Israel who demonstrated the vast superiority of their defensive infrastructure and demonstrates the limits of Iranian capabilities to actually hold Israel at risk,” he stated.

Moreover, Noronha added that “the Biden administration doesn't feel any need for the United States to respond kinetically to the attack considering that it did not directly harm US personnel or infrastructure, but also is trying to have Israel limit its response to Iran.”

“Israel, however, still feels the need to respond to this attack because it cannot leave the impression that Iran can launch such a massive attack without repercussions. Ideally, Israel will find a way to demonstrate its determination in a way that continues to keep pressure and diplomatic scrutiny on Iran,” he said.

Vottel and other former officials contacted by Asharq Al-Awsat agreed that the current phase will be marked by anticipation of the Israeli response. This uncertainty, however, was not reflected at Congress, where reactions were firmly in support of Israel.

Unified stances

There can be no doubt that the Iranian attack unified Democratic and Republican ranks in support of Tel Aviv, erasing any criticism or calls to limit assistance to Israel over the war in Gaza that has killed over 33,000 people in six months.

No sooner had news of the attack broken out than calls poured in at Congress to approve the frozen package of aid worth around 17 billion dollars.

Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives Steve Scalise was quick to announce a change the House’s schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel.

In a statement, he said: “In light of Iran’s unjustified attack on Israel, the House will move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable.

The Iranian regime must know “there will be consequences for these attacks,” he added.

Biden in the crossfire

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson called on the White House to deliver a “proper response”.

“The Biden administration’s undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments,” he said in a post on the X platform.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said such an attack by Iran would not have happened were former President Donald Trump still at the White House, accusing the Biden administration of lacking a policy of deterrence against Iran.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell urged Congress to approve the aid package as soon as possible, adding: “Tehran and its proxies are emboldened when they see divisions between the US and Israel.”

Meanwhile, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had made scathing criticism against Netanyahu over the war on Gaza, was quick to change his tone and express his unwavering support to Israel and its people in wake of Iran’s attack.

“As Israel is under attack from Iran, we stand with Israel and its people, and the United States will do everything we can to support Israel’s defense against Iran,” he declared.

Firm American support

Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who had previously said he was open to imposing restrictions on military aid to Israel, changed tone over the weekend, and urged the House to “promptly pass this coming week the long delayed national security supplemental to ensure that our Israeli allies have everything they need to defend themselves from attacks by Iran and its proxies.”

Another Democrat, Senator Chris Van Hollen, said he condemned the Iranian attack on Israel and “supports Israel's right to defend itself against this aggression. I also stand with Biden in seeking to prevent an even wider conflict that engulfs the people of the entire region.”

The calls for restraint were not supported by everyone. John Bolton, National Security Adviser under Trump, told CNN the said the Biden administration and Israel must reestablish deterrence against Iran and urged Tel Aviv to respond to the attack.

“I think Israel should be looking at this as an opportunity to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program,” he added, hoping that Biden would not persuade Netanyahu against making such a move.



Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions

A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
TT

Iran Says Could Abandon Nuclear Weapons But Has Conditions

A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)
A sample of the surveillance cameras that monitor the Iranian nuclear facilities presented at a press conference in Vienna. (Reuters)

Iran on Saturday hinted it would be willing to negotiate on a nuclear agreement with the upcoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, but that it has conditions.
Last Thursday, the UN atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution ordering Iran to urgently improve cooperation with the agency and requesting a “comprehensive” report aimed at pressuring Iran into fresh nuclear talks.
Ali Larijani, advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran and the US are now in a new position concerning the nuclear file.
In a post on X, he said, “If the current US administration say they are only against Iran’s nuclear weapons, they must accept Iran’s conditions and provide compensation for the damages caused.”

He added, “The US should accept the necessary conditions... so that a new agreement can be reached.”
Larijani stated that Washington withdrew from the JCPOA, thus causing damage to Iran, adding that his country started increasing its production of 60% enriched uranium.
The Iran nuclear accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached to limit the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
The deal began unraveling in 2018, when Washington, under Trump’s first administration, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed a sanction regime of “maximum pressure” on Tehran.
In retaliation, Iran has rapidly ramped up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium to 60% — close to the 90% threshold required to develop a nuclear bomb.
It also began gradually rolling back some of its commitments by increasing its uranium stockpiles and enriching beyond the 3.67% purity -- enough for nuclear power stations -- permitted under the deal.
Since 2021, Tehran has significantly decreased its cooperation with the IAEA by deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear program and barring UN inspectors.
Most recently, Iran escalated its confrontations with the Agency by announcing it would launch a series of “new and advanced” centrifuges. Its move came in response to a resolution adopted by the United Nations nuclear watchdog that censures Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation.
Centrifuges are the machines that enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235).
Shortly after the IAEA passed its resolution last Thursday, Tehran spoke about the “dual role” of IAEA’s chief, Raphael Grossi.
Chairman of the Iranian Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Ebrahim Azizi said, “The statements made by Grossi in Tehran do not match his actions in Vienna.”
And contrary to the statements of Azizi, who denied his country’s plans to build nuclear weapons, Tehran did not originally want to freeze its uranium stockpile enriched to 60%
According to the IAEA’s definition, around 42 kg of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible. The 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Spokesperson and deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Friday that IAEA inspectors were scheduled to come immediately after the meeting of the Board of Governors to evaluate Iran’s capacity, “with those capacities remaining for a month without any interruption in enrichment at 60% purity.”
Iran’s news agency, Tasnim, quoted Kamalvandi as saying that “the pressures resulting from the IAEA resolution are counterproductive, meaning that they increase our ability to enrich.”
He added: “Currently, not only have we not stopped enrichment, but we have orders to increase the speed, and we are gradually working on that."