The presidents Joe Biden and of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuthey had a telephone communication this evening, a contact that was confirmed by the Office of the Jewish leader, but without clarifications on the tenor of the talkespecially if some increase in US military assistance was agreed upon.
Biden had cut short a weekend trip to the Delaware coast to lead an emergency meeting at the White House with his top National Security advisers after Iran launched an unprecedented attack with hundreds of drones and missiles over different parts of Israel. Against this background, American forces continued in the early hours of Sunday shooting down drones launched by Iran, as part of the “iron shield” which protects vital areas of Israel from possible missile attacks.
From Tehran, meanwhile, news arrived of street demonstrations in support of the attack on Israelespecially one that had gathered hundreds of people in front of the British Embassy in the Iranian capital. They chanted against the West and waved Iranian and Palestinian flags.
“The United States must stay out of it”
Iran urged the United States this Sunday to “stay out of their conflict with Israel”, after launching a massive attack with drones and missiles against the Jewish State, which he attributed to “a retaliation carried out for Israel’s bombing of the consulate in Damascus.”
“The Iranian military action was in response to the aggression of the Zionist regime against our diplomatic facilities in Damascus,” the Iranian mission to the UN published on the social network X. “If the Israeli regime makes another mistake, the Iranian response will be considerably more severe,” he added. “It is a conflict between Iran and the ruffian Israeli regime, from which the United States MUST STAY AWAY!” said the Iranian representatives at the United Nations, while awaiting a speech by President Joe Biden setting out the White House’s position in this new escalation of violence in the Middle East.
On social network X, Biden expressed his support for Israel. “I just met with my National Security team to receive an update on Iran’s attacks on Israel. “Our commitment to Israel’s security in the face of threats from Iran and its proxies (in the region) is ironclad,” said the Democratic president.
Under fire from the Israeli anti-missile system, some drones hit Jewish areas, but the first reports do not indicate fatalities.
Trump: “These attacks are because we show great weakness”
The drone attack launched against Israel by Iran demonstrates the “great weakness” of the United States during the mandate of Democrat Joe Biden, stated this Saturday the Republican candidate for the November elections, Donald Trump. “God bless the people of Israel. Right now they are being attacked. It is because we show great weakness,” the former president said at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel this Saturday night in retaliation for an attack on its consulate in Damascus. It is Iran’s first direct attack against the territory of Israel, its sworn enemy.
“The weakness we have shown is incredible, and would not have happened if we were in charge,” Trump said. “But the United States prays for Israel, we send our absolute support to all those in danger”Trump added.
Massive demonstrations in the streets of Tehran
Thousands of people gathered since Saturday night in Tehran and the main cities of Iran to celebrate and support the unprecedented attack launched against Israel, the sworn enemy of the Islamic Republic.
In the Iranian capital, protesters had begun gathering in the central Palestine Square shortly after the announcement of the launch of the attack by the Revolutionary Guards, the country’s ideological army.
“Death to Israel” and “death to the United States“, the participants chanted, repeating traditional slogans from the Islamic Revolution of 1979, an AFP journalist noted. Many carried flags of Iran, Palestine and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.
Iranian authorities, such as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had promised “punish” to Israel after attributing to it an attack against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed seven Iranian soldiers on April 1.
In Palestine Square, a mural was inaugurated in which a torn Israeli flag appears with missiles in the background and a threatening slogan: “The next slap will be more violent.” It was also done a rally in front of the British embassy, since there are no diplomatic representations of either the United States or Israel in Tehran.
In Isfahan (center), people gathered around the grave of General Mohamad Reza Zahedi, the highest-ranking soldier of the seven Revolutionary Guards killed in the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
The Iranian consulate in Damascus, destroyed by an Israeli missile attack last week. AFP PHOTO
Before the attacks on Saturday and Sunday, 43-year-old Iranian Maryam said she hoped that a “compromise” could be reached in order to “prevent a war from starting and innocent people from dying.” But others in Tehran wanted a stronger reaction from Iranian authorities. “This time we must respond with more seriousness and determination,” reacted Yussef, a 37-year-old worker.