US reacts as Israel launches retaliatory air strikes on Iran

Israeli strikes on military targets in Iran are “an exercise in self-defence” following Tehran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month, the United States said late on Friday, adding that it was informed ahead of the strikes.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the “targeted strikes on military targets” are “an exercise in self-defence and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on 1 October.”

The United States was “informed beforehand and there is no US involvement,” a US defence official told AFP, on the condition of anonymity.

The official did not say how far in advance the United States had been informed or what information had been shared by Israel.

White House officials said in separate statements later that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the strikes and would continue to receive updates from their national security teams.

AFP