Biden Orders U.S. Military to Defend Israel

On Tuesday, October 1, the White House announced that President Joe Biden has ordered the U.S. military to take action to defend Israel. A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Islamic Republic's attack on Israel. Prior to the Islamic Republic of Iran's missile attack on Israel, the U.S. President had announced on social media platform 'X' that he and Kamala Harris held a national security meeting 'to discuss Iran's imminent missile attack plans against Israel' and 'talked about how the United States is prepared to assist Israel in defending against these attacks and protecting American personnel in the region.' In the first reactions to the firing of hundreds of missiles by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at Israel, Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from the United States, and Jared Moskowitz, a Democratic congressman, described the attack as a 'miscalculation' that would have 'consequences.' The IRGC claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, calling it a response to the deaths of Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, and commanders of the Islamic Republic's proxy groups. Senator Rubio wrote on social media 'X' after the IRGC's missile attack on Israel: 'The Iranian regime's attack on Israel was a very dangerous miscalculation.' He emphasized that 'Israel can directly target the regime and inflict severe damage on it, and this is what we will likely see in the future.' In another message, Rubio wrote that the Islamic Republic 'wants to destroy Israel to become the dominant power in the Middle East.' He stressed that 'appeasement' does not change the behavior of Iranian officials, adding: 'Only the threat to the regime's survival through maximum pressure and direct actions has the opportunity to influence and change their criminal activities.' Additionally, Jared Moskowitz, a Democratic congressman, wrote on social media 'X': 'Iran cannot be allowed to fire ballistic missiles at American allies without significant consequences.' Adam Schiff, a Democratic representative in the House of Representatives, also issued a statement emphasizing that the U.S. stands with Israel in light of the Islamic Republic's missile attack. Furthermore, Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Foreign Minister, condemned the IRGC's missile attack on Israel 'in the strongest possible terms' and stated that the Iranian government must immediately stop the attack. She wrote on social media 'X': 'We have urgently warned Iran about the dangerously escalating tensions. Iran must stop the attack immediately. The region is being pushed further to the brink.' Meanwhile, Sky News reported on a conversation between Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. These discussions took place following the IRGC's missile attacks on Israel. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also condemned the 'expansion of the Middle East conflict, with escalating tensions' after the IRGC's ballistic missile firing at Israel. He emphasized in a statement that 'we need a ceasefire.'