Biden is trying to prevent wider conflict in the Middle East

The White House has said that US President Joe Biden is focused on preventing Iran's recent attack on Israel from escalating into a wider regional conflict in the Middle East.

This was stated by John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the White House National Security Council, in an interview with CNN.

According to Kirby, the United States wants to see de-escalation in the Middle East.

"The fact that Iran has launched this unprecedented attack, which we and our Israeli partners and other partners have repelled, does not mean that we should simply accept the constant escalation in the region. The president is not going to accept that, he wants to see de-escalation," he said.

Asked whether the White House believes that Israel should not retaliate against Iran, Kirby said that this is up to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We respect their sovereign decision-making process. We want to see a de-escalation of tensions. We do not want to see a wider war," the White House official added.

Iran launched a large-scale attack on Israel last weekend in response to the Israeli strike on 1 April, which destroyed Iran's diplomatic mission in Damascus and killed Iranian generals.

Author - Olena Madiak, 15/04/2024