U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the U.S. military assisted Israel in shooting down ballistic missiles during Iran’s attack on the Jewish state on Tuesday.
Speaking at the White House press briefing, Sullivan said that the United States is still working with Israel to assess the damage from the Iranian barrage.
“Today, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel,” Sullivan said. “U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli air-defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.”
He added that the White House is not aware of any deaths in Israel from the missile attack but is monitoring the “reported death of a Palestinian civilian in Jericho in the West Bank.”
Sullivan took only five questions, saying that he needed to return to his desk to respond to the ongoing crisis.
He said that Washington and Yerushalayim have had “initial discussions” about the attacks at the military level and between the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office. He added that Washington and Yerushalayim would have further “consultations” on Tuesday afternoon and evening about what the U.S. and Israeli response to the attack should be.
Sullivan stated that the administration was still preparing its recommendations for that response.
“We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case,” he said. “We are now going to look at what the appropriate next steps are to secure, first and foremost, American interests and then to promote stability to the maximum extent possible as we go forward.”
(JNS)