How the US Assisted in Countering Iran’s Attack on Israel

Senior US officials detailed the role Washington played in countering the attack. American aircraft and planes downed dozens of drones and missiles when Iran launched the attack on Saturday. This was in response to Tehran’s repeated threats following an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus that killed two top officers earlier in the month.

Two American warships — the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Carney — destroyed between four and six ballistic missiles. US aircraft shot down more than 70 Iranian drones, while a Patriot missile battery also shot down a ballistic missile targeting Israel in the northern Iraq city of Arbil. President Joe Biden spent Saturday evening in the White House Situation Room receiving real-time updates as the attack unfolded.

A senior administration official described the tense atmosphere, saying that at one point, “we knew there were over 100 ballistic missiles in the sky,” and the results of the defenses were unclear until the situation was resolved. Top US officials were briefed about the strike during a visit by the Israeli ambassador and defense attache at the White House. Although the US was not involved in the initial strike, they were aware that it would have repercussions.

President Biden then directed the government to defend Israel to the maximum extent possible, leading to increased military action and coordination with General Erik Kurilla, head of the US military command responsible for the region, who was dispatched to provide real-time updates and coordinate with partners. The United States also engaged in direct communications with Iran through the Swiss channel and deployed additional military assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces. The senior administration official made it clear that the US would not be involved in any potential Israeli response to the attack.