After more than six months of Israeli aggression against Gaza, US policy started to shift in favor of more peace and stability. This was evident in Washington’s decision not to exercise its veto power over Resolution 2728, which Algeria had proposed for a ceasefire in the UN Security Council in March.
However, the region appears to be relapsing into disarray, as evidenced by Israel’s early April assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the execution of several senior leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In response, Iran launched an offensive on April 13, directing numerous drones and missiles at the Israeli interior. This situation begs the question of how the United States will proceed in addressing this escalating situation, which, should it persist, could prove disastrous not only for the region but also for the United States.
US Backing and a Desire Not to Escalate
As signs of Iranian reprisal against Israel materialized, the United States promptly reaffirmed its dedication to backing Israel and safeguarding its security. Nevertheless, the most notable aspect of these statements is the clear expression of a lack of desire to engage in a conflict with Iran or allow the situation to escalate further.
President Biden, in his official statement on the White House website, strongly denounced the unprecedented Iranian attack. He clarified that he had given explicit orders for the US Army to relocate aircraft and destroyers to the region in order to enhance ballistic missile defense capabilities. As a result of these deployments, Israel was able to successfully intercept and destroy the majority of the drones and missiles.
Additionally, he revealed that he had a conversation with the Israeli prime minister during which he emphasized the unwavering dedication of the United States to ensuring the security of Israel and lauded the country’s defense capabilities, thereby sending a resounding message that adversaries are incapable of endangering Israeli security. Additionally, he highlighted his team’s ongoing dialogue with their counterparts in the region and his meeting with G7 leaders to coordinate a “unified diplomatic response.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed the United States’ disapproval of the Iranian attack on Israel. He clarified that, while the United States does not endorse further escalation, it will continue to provide assistance to Israel’s defense. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant, to affirm strong US backing for the defense of Israel, praising the extraordinary defense measures and strong cooperation between the two countries.
Austin made it clear that Israel could count on full US support to defend Israel against any future attacks by Iran and its regional proxies. Furthermore, he denounced the reckless and unprecedented assaults carried out by Iran and its proxies in a statement, urging Iran to cease all further attacks immediately, including those carried out by its proxy forces, and to defuse tensions, stating that while Washington does not aim to engage in conflict with Tehran, it will not think twice about working to defend its forces and back Israel’s defense.
Re-Stimulating Congressional Support
Following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, both houses of Congress shifted their attention to US support for Israel. However, this support encountered two main obstacles: the first involved certain Democrats attempting to connect the aid for Israel with the aid for Ukraine, while the second pertained to the pressures exerted on this support due to Israeli massacres and the brutal treatment of Gaza residents. Nevertheless, it seems that due to the Iranian attacks on Israel, the impact of these two obstacles will diminish, and attention will undoubtedly shift towards American backing of Israel.
In response to Iran’s recent launch of drones towards Israel, the US House of Representatives (HoR) is making a change in its schedule for next week to include legislation that provides support for Israel. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced that the HoR will deviate from its previously planned legislative agenda next week and will instead focus on passing legislation that provides support to Israel and ensures that Iran and its terrorist proxies are held accountable. Scalise emphasized that the HoR firmly supports Israel and believes that there should be repercussions for the unjustified attack.
For his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his commitment to maintaining communication with the White House in order to insist on a suitable response to the attack. Republican Representative Mike Lawler has urged the Speaker of the HoR to deliver an additional aid package to Israel to assist it during its current time of need. Representative Ritchie Torres of the Democratic Party referred to Iran as “the most destabilizing force in the Middle East.” Others went further, with Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn urging Biden to launch “aggressive retaliatory strikes against Iran.”
US Backing for Israel: The Religious Cover
Addressing the ongoing escalation in the Middle East region extended beyond discussions of political and economic interests. The true peril resides in the introduction of religious elements into the scene, which presents complex challenges that are hard to address and dismantle and incites the involved parties to escalate tensions based on religious beliefs concerning apocalyptic prophecies.
In an interview with All Israel News, Former Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, who headed a number of Evangelical delegations to the region, said that a direct Iranian attack on Israel would lead to disastrous consequences for the Iran. “A majority of Americans believe in the God of the Bible. Our prayers support the continuation of the Jewish state, the safety and security of all Israelis, and the immediate return of the hostages”, she noted. She pointed out that “an Iranian attack against Israel will immediately cause the American giant to respond in aid of our Israeli ally.” “Iran needs to understand the majority of members of the US Congress and the American people support Israel. Any attack against Israel by Iran will be met with a full-throated response Iran will regret.”, Bachmann added.
Following their sojourn in Israel, Danny and Stephen Hoell, who served as father and son pastors, expressed the view that “one cannot be a Christian and do nothing but observe the suffering of the nation of Israel.” Stephen emphasized that standing with Israel stems from the fact that it is a biblical issue. As reported by the Washington Post, hundreds of pastors and Christian community leaders affiliated with Christians United for Israel (CUFI) are preparing to embark on an urgent journey to Washington with the intention of exerting pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to increase support for Israel.
The Biden Administration between a Rock and a Hard Place
Given the continuous escalation in the region, it is evident that the United States administration is confronted with a significant deadlock in the midst of the presidential election season. The Biden administration has pursued an appeasement policy that was primarily focused on reviving diplomatic relations and coming to an agreement with Tehran in an attempt to undo the legacy of former President Donald Trump with regard to dealing with Iran, which is the reason for this impasse. As a consequence, certain Republican figures levied allegations against the Biden administration, attributing the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood attacks to it.
For example, former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump stated during a rally in Pennsylvania that he would have prevented the October 7 attack by Hamas and the Iranian airstrikes against Israel if he had been in office. He denounced what he perceived as President Biden’s weakness in international affairs. He took pride in his record in this dossier and boasted about his fight for Israel like no president has done before: he notably acknowledged Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel, relocated the American embassy from Tel Aviv, and advocated for the historic Abraham Accords, a process that ultimately resulted in the restoration of diplomatic relations between Israel and the Emirates and Bahrain.
In light of this, the Biden administration is evidently confronted with a series of pressures that are compelling it to pursue an escalatory course of action. Primarily, this includes an effort to disavow the allegation that its stance is the primary catalyst for Tehran’s heightened destabilizing influence in the region. Furthermore, an increasing number of internal calls are being made for the United States to strike back against Iran or assist Israel in launching such an offensive.
However, the US administration is cognizant of the peril associated with escalation and instability in the region, given that such developments would result in multifaceted ramifications and effects that transcend regional boundaries and extend to the global stage, thereby imposing additional financial burdens on Washington. According to an NBC report, senior American officials are worried that Israel might react hastily to the Iranian attack without taking the consequences into account. The White House’s concerns, the report continued, stems from Israel’s handling of its aggression against Gaza.
A White House official told Axios that President Biden told the Israeli Prime Minister over the phone that Washington would not back any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran. Biden and his senior advisors are “deeply concerned,” according to the website, that the Israeli response to the Iranian attack could spark a regional conflict “with catastrophic consequences.”
In short, the United States is aware of the gravity of the escalation of conflict in the region. As a result, it is expected that Washington will take decisive action to offer extensive assistance to Israel, while also seeking commitments from Tel Aviv to prevent any risky or hazardous actions. Simultaneously, Washington will endeavor to continue the clampdown on Tehran, akin to the maximum pressure strategy initiated by Trump, with the aim of curbing its destabilizing behavior. To accomplish this, it will spearhead a robust diplomatic campaign to isolate Iran and intensify the constraints imposed on it. Nonetheless, the manner in which the United States approaches the situation continues to be contingent on the actions of the two principal actors (Israel and Iran) and their intention to escalate the conflict or achieve a state of tranquilly.
