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White House Says US Would Defend Israel in Iranian Attack

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. Reuters file photo
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. Reuters file photo
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White House Says US Would Defend Israel in Iranian Attack

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. Reuters file photo
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. Reuters file photo

The United States remains committed to defending Israel in any Iranian attack, and was hopeful about a possible Gaza ceasefire agreement, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday.
Kirby told Israel's Channel 12 that it was tough to predict the chances of an attack but the White House takes Iranian statements seriously.
"We believe that they are still postured and poised to launch an attack should they want to do that, which is why we have that enhanced force posture in the region," Reuters quoted him as saying.
"Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent. One, don't do it. There's no reason to escalate this. There's no reason to potentially start some sort of all-out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that."
Iran has vowed a severe response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement.
The US maintains two aircraft-carrier strike groups in the Middle East, as well as an extra squadron of F-22 fighter jets.
Kirby said the force will remain "as long as we feel like we need to keep it in place to help defend Israel and defend our own troops and facilities in the region."
He remained upbeat over a possible Gaza ceasefire deal to end the 10-month-old war and return the remaining 108 Israeli hostages, saying the process has been "constructive" and he was looking forward to more talks in Doha in the coming days.

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Pope Francis Says Refusing Aid to Migrants a ‘Grave Sin’ 

Pope Francis gestures during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Aug.28, 2024. (AP)
Pope Francis gestures during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Aug.28, 2024. (AP)
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Pope Francis Says Refusing Aid to Migrants a ‘Grave Sin’ 

Pope Francis gestures during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Aug.28, 2024. (AP)
Pope Francis gestures during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Aug.28, 2024. (AP)

Pope Francis on Wednesday strongly decried the treatment of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe, saying it was a "grave sin" not to offer aid to migrant vessels.

"There are those who work systematically and with every means to reject migrants," the pontiff said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"And this, when done with conscience and responsibility, is a grave sin," he said.

The pope has spoken frequently about the treatment of migrants over his 11-year papacy. But his words on Wednesday, invoking Catholic terminology for one of the worst kinds of sin, were especially strong.

Migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in simple crafts or home-made dinghies from northern Africa and the Middle East have been the subject of intense debate across Europe over the past decade.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 30,000 migrants crossing the Mediterranean have gone missing since 2014.

In Italy, a rescue ship operated by the Doctors Without Borders charity was issued a 60-day detention order on Monday. Authorities said the vessel, which had conducted several rescue operations on Aug. 23, failed to properly communicate its movements.

Doctors Without Borders refuted those claims. "We have been sanctioned for simply fulfilling our legal duty to save lives," it said in a statement.

Francis on Wednesday called for expanding access routes for migrants and a "global governance of migration based on justice, brotherhood and solidarity." The pope said the issue would not be resolved through the "militarization of borders".

In recent weeks, the pope had been offering a series of reflections about Catholic spiritual matters in his weekly audiences.

At the beginning of Wednesday's remarks, the pope said he was postponing that series this week, to consider "people who are crossing seas and deserts to find a place where they can live in peace and security".

Wednesday's audience was the last before Francis, aged 87, embarks next week for an ambitious four-country visit across Southeast Asia from Sept. 2-13. It is the longest trip yet by the pontiff, who now regularly uses a wheelchair due to knee and back pain.