Iran’s weekend drone and missile attack on Israel was an “embarrassing failure,” the US said, stressing that it highlighted the IDF’s defensive prowess as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet weighed reprisal actions.
“I've seen reporting that the Iranians meant to fail that this spectacular and embarrassing failure was all by design,” US National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters in Washington on Monday, as he explained that such statements were patently false.
“Let's be straight, given the scale of this attack, Iran's intent was clearly to cause significant destruction and casualties,” Kirby said as he spoke of how a coalition of five armies — Israel, the US, Jordan, France, and Great Britain — repelled over 300 missiles and drone targeting the Jewish state.
It was the first time that this coalition of forces had acted as a military defensive force both in the region and in defense of Israel.
Iran’s attack failed, Kirby said, “because it was defeated by Israel, by the United States, and by a coalition of other partners committed to Israel's defense.”
He also dismissed reports that the coalition against Iran succeeded because Iran had provided messages through third parties detailing the time and scale of the attack.
“I've also seen Iran say that they provided early warning to help Israel prepare its defenses,” Kirby said, stressing that “all of this is categorically false.”
“There was never any message to us or to anyone else on the timeframe, the targets, or the type of response.
“In fact, before yesterday, it was presumed that 100 ballistic missiles might overwhelm even the best defensive systems that was Iran's intent and as you all saw for yourself. This attack was defeated thanks to our preparations,” Kirby said.
Reinvigoration of Israel
Iran’s attack came half a year after the IDF failed to protect its southern border against a Hamas attack. It also came at a moment when it had appeared isolated on the international stage due to opposition to its military campaign to destroy Hamas, which is an Iranian proxy group.
“Israel today is in a far stronger strategic position than it was only a few days ago,” Kirby stated.
“Iran's vaunted missile program, something it has used to threaten Israel and the region, proved to be far less effective. Israel's defenses, on the other hand, proved even better than many had long assumed.”
“Much of the world today is standing with Israel,” he stressed.
The defensive action by coalition forces against Iran also showed that the US takes its commitment to the region and Israel seriously, he said.
“We got skin in the game. And we proved that,” he said.
Kirby stressed that the US was “not looking for a war with Iran. We are not looking to broaden and deepen the conflict in the region.”
US officials have said they would not take part in any Israeli reprisal action toward Iran. US President Joe Biden has urged Prime Minister Benjamin not to consider that the successful defense of Israel was a victory.
Kirby, however, issued a veiled threat to Iran, reminding it that moving forward the US remained committed to Israel’s defense.
“IF I'm sitting in Tehran, and I'm taking a look at what just happened on Saturday night, I don't think I'd be betting that the United States is not willing to get engaged here.”