US says Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel 'defeated and ineffective,' vows 'severe consequences'

WASHINGTON

Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel "appears to have been defeated and ineffective," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday.

Sullivan told reporters that Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which the US worked with Israeli forces to intercept, including by using Navy destroyer warships to fire interceptors "to shoot down inbound missiles."

"We are still working with the IDF and the authorities in Israel to assess the impact of the attack. But at this time, and I stress at this time, we do not know of any deaths in Israel," Sullivan said at the White House, adding that initial reports indicate a Palestinian was killed in Jericho.

"This was first and foremost, the result of the professionalism of the IDF, but in no small part, because of the skilled work of the US military and meticulous joint planning in anticipation of the attack," he said.

Sullivan said the US would now turn its attention to weighing "what the appropriate next steps are to secure first and foremost American interests and then to promote stability to the maximum extent possible."

He stressed that the Biden administration is "proud of" its efforts to defend Israel, reiterating a warning from a senior White House official that Iran will face "severe consequences" for the attack.

"We will work with Israel to make that the case," he said.

In a preliminary statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG) said the attack was in response to the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoshan.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran last month. Nasrallah was killed Friday in Beirut along with Nilforoshan.

The Guard Corps warned that if Israel responds to the missile barrage, it will face more “crushing attacks.” It also said the attack was being carried out with the support of the army and the Defense Ministry.

Tensions have been running high between Tehran and Tel Aviv since the assassination of Haniyeh in the Iranian capital on Aug. 1. Iran had blamed it on Israel and vowed a stern response.