US promises to protect Israel

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured his Israeli counterpart Yoav Galant of his readiness to protect Israel from “threats from Iran” and Iranian-backed groups. He reaffirmed the United States' "cast-iron commitment to Israel's security and self-defense." A senior Biden administration official said Israel's retaliatory strike against Iran was "targeted and proportionate, with low risk to civilians." “If Iran decides to respond, we are fully prepared to defend ourselves against any attack again,” the official added. On the night of October 26, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on missile production facilities, air defense systems and other military targets. The attack took place in two waves: first, Iranian air defense systems were hit, which cleared the way for a second strike on missile and drone bases, as well as production facilities. It was the largest direct strike by foreign air forces on Iranian soil in three decades. Ahead of the strikes, Israel sent Iran a warning not to retaliate, according to Axios, in an attempt to limit the exchange of strikes and prevent a wider escalation. Iranian military officials acknowledged hits on "military centers" » in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam. “Despite previous warnings... to refrain from any adventurous actions, this illegitimate regime carried out a provocative attack early in the morning,” military commanders said, calling the Israeli operation “criminal and illegal.” While acknowledging “limited damage to some sites,” Iran promised an “appropriate response” to the strikes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked Iran not to respond to the Israeli strikes, calling on all sides to show restraint. Experts say the operation was likely designed to avoid major escalation while satisfying Western allies concerned about Iran's growing capabilities and alliance with Russia. The escalation of the conflict between longtime adversaries Tehran and Tel Aviv began after Israel launched a military incursion into the Gaza Strip 7 October 2023. Following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iran launched a large-scale rocket attack on Israeli territory in early October. Prior to this, a series of mutual strikes took place in April: an Israeli attack on Iranian diplomatic facilities in Damascus was followed by an Iranian retaliatory strike, which in turn provoked a military Israeli operation in Iran. For security reasons, Israel, Iran and Iraq were forced to temporarily close their airspace.