White House National Security and Public Affairs Advisor John Kirby has responded to Iran’s direct attack on Israel, accusing former President Trump of allegedly emboldening Iran.
Kirby spoke with Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss the recent escalation in the Middle East under the Biden administration.Israel fends off a fierce attack by more than 300 drones and missiles launched at it from iranthwarted 99% of attacks with the help of neighboring countries and allies such as the United States
Biden administration reportedly advised Israel Opposed to retaliatory attacks on Iran.
“The weakness we showed [under the Biden administration], can’t believe it. If we were president, none of this would have happened, you know,” Trump said on Saturday.
Mr. Bream pressed Mr. Kirby about the Biden administration’s policy of granting sanctions relief and unfreezing of assets to Iran. The Biden administration last month reauthorized sanctions waivers that allow Iraq to buy energy from Iran, effectively giving the terror regime access to $10 billion in funds. Mr. Kirby said at the time that the funds would not go to the “mullahs.”
Several countries support Israel to stop Iranian barrage
Jonathan Kirby has slammed former President Donald Trump after Iran attacked Israel with drones and long-range missiles. (Getty Images)
“Could this administration have been tougher on Iran? Did it see an opening?” Bream asked.
“It’s hard to look at President Biden’s actions and say we’ve somehow become soft on Iran,” Kirby responded. “It was the previous administration that decided to take us out of the Iran deal, and now Iran is dramatically closer to its potential nuclear weapons capability than it was before Trump was elected.”
Biden warned on Friday of an attack by Iran. About Israel Possibly over the weekend, he told reporters that his message to the Islamic Republic was “fuck it.”
Biden calls for G7 meeting to counter Iran’s ‘brazen’ attack
Republican senators renewed their criticism of Biden’s weak deterrence after the Iranian regime ignored his requests.
“President Biden telling the bad guys, ‘Screw it,’ is actually an effective deterrent. Every time he says, ‘Screw it,’ they do it,” RS.C. wrote Sen. Lindsey Graham in a post to X. Saturday.
“Iran was bankrupt under President Trump. President Biden gave Iran billions of dollars and then naively said, ‘Screw it,'” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). he said. He said. “‘Not’ is not foreign policy. Joe Biden’s policy funded Iran’s attack on Israel.”
Biden’s national security adviser (Biden photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, Trump photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Bream again asked Kirby whether the White House was being soft on Iran, and Kirby again criticized President Trump’s foreign policy.
“But we know that there is a move by the current regime to provide them with cash and other opportunities that do not help the Iranian people but can be replaced in ways that benefit the elites and elites. “Isn’t it fair to say that the people there are shouting, ‘Death to America?'” Bream asked.
World leaders unanimously condemn Iran’s ‘reckless’ attack on Israel: ‘We stand with Israel’
Kirby said, “The additional funds made available to Iran through the sanctions relief program put in place by the Trump administration can only be used for humanitarian supplies. It does not go to the administration. It can only be used.” That somehow made the administration feel like they were free to support these agents, which is inconsistent with the fact that they have been supporting these agents for years. ”
Iranian medium-range ballistic missile “Heibel (Hurremshahr-4)” launched during a promotional program organized with the participation of senior military officials on May 7, 2023 in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Ministry of Defense/Hanodut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He also argued that the funds were not “fungible.”
“They can’t do it, physically they can’t do that,” Kirby said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Before Saturday’s attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu The country’s military said it had been “preparing for the possibility of a direct attack from Iran” for several weeks.
“Israel has demonstrated an incredible ability to defend against and defeat unprecedented attacks, sending a clear message to our adversaries that they cannot effectively threaten Israel’s security,” Biden said after the attack. Ta.
FOX News’ Michael Lee, Brooke Singman and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
