US: Preventing Israel from Responding to the Islamic Republic's Attack Has Never Been Considered

On Monday, October 8, the spokesperson for the US State Department emphasized that it is Israel's right to respond to the second direct attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran on that country. Matthew Miller, during his daily press conference in Washington and in response to a question from the Persian section of Voice of America about whether the US tried to dissuade Israel from retaliatory action, stated, "When a country attacks another in that manner, of course they (Israel) have the right to respond." He added that from the US perspective, retaliation "for an attack with 200 ballistic missiles" is justified. On October 1, the Islamic Republic targeted Israel with at least 180 ballistic missiles, which government officials claimed was in retaliation for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah Lebanon, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and Abbas Nilforushan, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, by Israel. The United States has considered the retaliatory action as Israel's right from the beginning and stated that it is in discussions with Israeli officials about how Israel should respond, and according to Matthew Miller, this consultation is ongoing. The US President opposes Israel's retaliatory attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites and even Iran's oil industry. The US opposition to an attack on nuclear sites stems from the potential for a full-scale war, while the reason for opposing an attack on oil facilities is the concern over its impact on global oil prices, especially just a month before the presidential elections in the US. However, as Israel's war in Gaza has shown, there is no guarantee that Israel will accept the US government's views. Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, on Monday addressed the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups, stating, "We decide when and where to retaliate." He emphasized that "there will be a response," adding, "We will ensure that those who seek to destroy us will pay the price for their actions." Danon, who was speaking to reporters at the UN on the anniversary of the Hamas attack supported by the Iranian government, added that discussions about the targets of the retaliatory attack are still ongoing in the Israeli cabinet. Simultaneously on Monday, President Joe Biden emphasized that the United States defends Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.