On Friday’s “CNN This Morning” broadcast, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said President Joe Biden “urged Israel to avoid any response” to Iran’s attack on Israel. ”, he said, “a fact that both Israel and Iran downplay.” Israel’s response is a “good sign” and the situation appears to be calming down.
Kaine said, “In response to Israel’s attack on the Damascus consulate in which an Iranian national was killed, President Biden expressed his concern that the United States, Israel, and other countries are extremely concerned about missile and drone attacks launched by Iran toward Israel. He urged Israel to avoid any response after an effective defeat.” Escalation now is the last thing to do. There is a need for de-escalation, hostage deals, ceasefires and de-escalation in the region. That’s what we need. Yes, I was troubled when I saw that Israel decided to carry out an attack inside Iranian territory. But from what we know now, it seems to be pretty well-coordinated to send a message to Iran, you’ve launched on our soil, we’re reaching out and getting yours. We can touch the soil, but we don’t intend to cause much harm. And if that’s the understanding right now, both Iran and Israel want to show that they’re capable, but they also want to de-escalate the situation and hopefully stop this and prevent further exchanges. I hope it goes away. ”
Co-host John Berman asked Kane, “Are you relieved?”
Kaine replied, “Yes, that’s right. I think, like you, I went to sleep worrying about what this portends. And yet the fact that both Israel and Iran are downplaying it. This is a good sign. Therefore, we need to stop the escalation. In the region, the Houthis are firing into the Red Sea, Hezbollah is firing into Israel from Lebanon, and there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. What we need to see is a de-escalation, and hopefully a de-escalation of what happened overnight. [were] Israel is simply showing that it is capable, but is coordinating its demonstrations to avoid serious escalation. ”
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