An anti-missile system goes into action after Iran launches drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, on April 14, 2024. Image Credit: Reuters
Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles marked the culmination of a tense two weeks in which Washington has engaged in whirlwind efforts to prepare for the expected violence.
American planes and planes shot down dozens of drones and missiles as Iran launched its offensive on Saturday, after Tehran repeatedly threatened to pull back in response to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two top officials earlier in the month.
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Senior US officials described the role Washington played – both militarily and diplomatically – in countering the attack:
Iran attack
Iran launched more than 100 medium-range ballistic missiles, more than 30 land-attack cruise missiles and more than 150 attack drones at Israel, a senior US military official said.
Two American warships — the USS Earle Burke and the USS Carney — were destroyed by between four and six ballistic missiles, while US aircraft shot down more than 70 Iranian drones, a military official said.
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A Patriot missile battery shot down a ballistic missile headed for Israel in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil.
President Joe Biden received real-time updates in the White House situation room Saturday evening as the attack unfolded.
“At one point, we knew there were more than 100 ballistic missiles in the sky” and “of course the defense outcomes are not clear until all is said and done,” a senior administration official described the tense atmosphere.
accelerator
On April 1, Israel launched a strike on Iran's consulate in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guardsmen, including two generals, and warned Tehran that it would respond.
During a visit to the White House by the Israeli ambassador and defense attache, top US officials were pulled aside and briefed on the details of the strike, a senior administration official said.
“We were not part of that strike” but “we knew it would have consequences,” the official said.
A few days later, Mr. Biden instructed the government to “defend Israel to the extent possible” and to ensure that all necessary officials and assets are in place to do so – a directive to send officials into action.
US preparations
Before the attack, US officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, were in “constant, ongoing, continuous contact” with the Israelis and other countries in the Middle East.
General Eric Kurilla, head of the US military command responsible for the region, was dispatched to the area to provide real-time updates and coordinate with the Israelis and other partners.
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The United States is in touch with Iran, sending “a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel,” a senior administration official said.
A US defense official said last week that Washington had deployed additional military assets to the region to “enhance regional deterrence efforts and enhance force protection for US forces”.
What comes next?
Since the start of the latest round of conflict between Israel and Hamas six months ago, the US goal has been to prevent it from turning into a broader regional conflict, and Washington is keen to lower the temperature in the region.
“We will not be part of any response they make,” a senior administration official said of possible Israeli action after the attack. “We cannot imagine ourselves participating in such an act.”
Israel, meanwhile, “has made it clear to us that they are not seeking a significant escalation with Iran” but “the big question is not only what Israel may choose to do,” the official said.