White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the Biden administration’s response, particularly the lack thereof, and escalating tensions in the Middle East during a press conference Friday morning.
“I know there’s been a lot of interest in reports from the Middle East overnight, and I understand that. I understand that. But I’m going to review it now, everyone. will definitely ask me about it. We do.”There is no comment on this report at this time. Obviously, you heard from Secretary Blinken early this morning,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre added that President Biden is kept up to date on everything happening related to unrest in the Middle East.
This came after Israel carried out limited strikes against Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran’s barrage of missiles and drones at Israel last Saturday.
Iranian president makes no mention of Israeli airstrike despite threat of total destruction
At Friday’s WH press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the unrest in the Middle East, which continued overnight. (Getty Images)
Fox News confirmed that there was an explosion in Iran’s Isfahan province, where Natanz, one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, is located.
Jean-Pierre said the White House does not want conflicts to escalate in the Middle East.
“We have been very clear from the beginning that we do not want this conflict to escalate. We will, of course, continue to consult with our allies and partners, including in the region, and continue to seek further support in the region. ‘and that is the sentiment expressed in the joint statement of the G7 foreign ministries released this morning,’ Jean-Pierre said. “Obviously I heard that from Secretary Blinken, who was at that meeting. I’m going to pay close attention. I’m not going to speculate or make any statements about the reports that are coming out at this point.” ”
Jean-Pierre still declined to comment when asked whether the United States had been informed by Israel ahead of the counterattack.
“I’m not going to talk about diplomatic conversations,” Jean-Pierre said.
He also declined to say whether the United States has influence in the Middle East after being asked about President Biden’s “no” response to Iranian retaliation.
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Presidential Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on February 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I know this is not satisfactory. I’m not going to talk about the reports that are out there. I’m not going to do that and I’m not going to speculate. I’m going to say, You’ve heard this from my colleagues at NSE, and you’ve heard it from many of us here in the White House, but presidents and prime ministers have been We have a long-standing relationship,” Jean-Pierre said.
“Because of that long-standing relationship, they can be very honest with each other and have difficult conversations when they need to. That’s the kind of friendship they have. ‘I’m not even going to talk about it,’ it has been reported. ”
The United States denies involvement in the attack and has for days implored Israel to respond with restraint to the Iranian attack.
When asked about Israel’s attack on Iran, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday morning: “I’m not going to talk about that other than to say the United States is not involved in any offensive operations.”
“What we are focused on, what the G7 is focused on, and again, that is reflected in our statements and our conversations, is to reduce tensions and reduce potential “You have seen Israel under unprecedented attack.” “But while we are of course focused on enabling Israel to effectively defend itself, we are also focused on de-escalating tensions and avoiding conflict.”
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An Israeli soldier attaches an Israeli flag to the top of an armored personnel carrier (APC) near the Israeli border with Gaza in southern Israel, Monday, April 15, 2024.
Iranian state media also reportedly downplayed Friday’s airstrike, with a leading military official telling Fox News that the strike was “limited.”
“This morning’s explosion over Isfahan was related to the firing of air defense systems against a suspicious object, and there were no casualties,” Iranian military commander General Abdulrahim Mousavi said in an Associated Press report.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Iran has no immediate plans to counterattack.
Israel and its government have remained relatively quiet leading up to and following the retaliatory attack on Iran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement before the attack on Israel that “Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself.” ”[Foreign leaders] There are all kinds of suggestions and advice. I am grateful. But let me be clear: Our decisions are our own. ”
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Former Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus tweeted after the attack that Iran appeared to be downplaying the attack, saying, “This is what I think.”[s] They got the message. ”
Fox News Digital’s Timothy HJ Nerozzi, Bradford Betz, Jennifer Griffin, Greg Norman and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
