White House: Deployment of Aircraft Carrier Group to the Region Sends a Clear Message to Opportunists

The Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the White House on Monday, October 9, referenced Hamas's attack on Israel during a press conference, stating that the United States currently does not intend to directly enter the conflict or send military forces to Israel. John Kirby noted that one reason for deploying the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to the region was to send a clear and direct message to 'opportunists' regarding the situation for Israel, adding, 'We will take any actions necessary to protect our people, our forces, and our national security interests.' This senior media official from the White House National Security Council also dismissed reports from some media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, regarding the planning and execution of Hamas operations against Israel by the Islamic Republic, stating, 'Iran has been materially supporting Hamas for years, providing them with tools and training, so it can be said that there is some degree of complicity, but so far we have not found evidence that the Islamic Republic has directly participated in providing resources or planning these complex attacks by Hamas.' He continued, 'Our Israeli counterparts have also publicly stated that they have not found a direct connection between these operations and the Islamic Republic, but both of us will continue our investigations in this regard.' Previously, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Deputy National Security Advisor John Finer, appearing on major U.S. news programs, rejected the notion of direct Iranian involvement in Hamas's attack on Saturday, stating that this matter is under investigation.