How U.S. Literally Became Part of Israel’s Missile Defense System

President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not support a retaliatory attack against Iran despite American forces playing a major role in intercepting Tehran’s unprecedented attack against Israel over the weekend.

After the attack—which involved 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles—Biden called Netanyahu to reaffirm U.S. support for Israel but said the American military would not join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in any potential strike against Iran, according to a White House official cited by The Times of Israel. Biden also encouraged the Israeli leader to “think carefully and strategically about the risk of escalation,” the official said, with the region perilously close to an all-out international conflict.

Despite Washington, D.C.’s reluctance to become embroiled in further military operations, the Pentagon played a significant part in taking out Tehran’s attack which had been launched in retaliation against an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria that killed two generals. U.S. Central Command said its forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, shot down over 80 drones and at least six ballistic missiles launched against Israel from Iran and Yemen.

Read more at The Daily Beast.