The U.S. Says It Has Messaged Iran That Attacking Israel Benefits No One

On Tuesday, August 23, the U.S. State Department spokesperson commented on the possibility of an attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel, stating they do not want to speculate on actions the Islamic Republic may take, but "no one benefits from any kind of retaliation." Vedant Patel, during a daily press conference in Washington, responded to a reporter's question by saying that the United States has engaged in intensive diplomacy with its allies and partners to convey this message to the region, including "directly to Iran." He mentioned that the U.S. also conveys this message directly to Israel while continuing to defend Israel against attacks from the Islamic Republic and its supported terrorist groups, as well as defending American personnel. The State Department spokesperson added that everyone in the region must understand that further attacks will only lead to continued conflict, instability, and insecurity for all, and therefore what the Biden administration is focused on is "de-escalation through diplomacy." Patel stated that Washington has conveyed these messages directly to Tehran through its partners. Regarding the efforts of other regional countries to counter a potential missile attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel, he said that no one in the Middle East looks naively at the "malicious and destabilizing behavior of the (Iranian) regime, especially through its proxies, particularly in the Middle East." He also added, "What I can say on behalf of the United States is that we will certainly not hesitate to defend Israel and our personnel against attacks not only from Iran but also from Iranian-backed proxy forces." The Washington Post reported on Monday that contrary to the public threats from Iranian officials about a "major attack" on Israel and "harsh retaliation" against Israel for killing Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, they are privately concerned about Israel's and the U.S.'s response and therefore their potential attack on Israel may be smaller and more limited than the missile attack in April. The American newspaper reported that informed sources from private meetings of Islamic Republic officials with their proxy leaders say that the Islamic Republic has called for caution and is looking for a way to balance the desire to show power and prevent a full-scale war in the region. According to this report, the Islamic Republic, which previously attacked Israel in April with over 300 drones and missiles, is now politically in a more unstable situation internally and has told its proxies that it is worried about the neutralization of its nuclear program in the event of a large-scale attack on Israel. Following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, threatened "punishment" for Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Haniyeh. Joe Biden stated, "I expect" the Islamic Republic not to attack Israel if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Prince Reza Pahlavi warned about the danger of the continuation of the Islamic Republic; "Iran is on a path to destruction" and "the plight of Iranians" is expanding. An Israeli media outlet reported that Blinken's trip to the Middle East was delayed due to the possibility of an attack by the Islamic Republic. The Israeli Defense Minister stated, "We are closely monitoring what is happening in Tehran and Beirut." The U.S. State Department approved the sale of advanced F-15 fighter jets to Israel. The Washington Post reported that the Islamic Republic is concerned about the "neutralization" of its nuclear program in the event of a large-scale attack on Israel.