Biden orders US Armed Forces to shoot down Iranian missiles over Israel

Washington, Oct 1 (EFE).- The President of the United States, Joe Biden, ordered the US Armed Forces this Tuesday to shoot down the missiles that Iran is launching at Israel.

In a brief statement, the White House indicated that Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris are meeting with the national security team in what is known as the ‘situation room’ of the White House, where They are receiving information about the attacks from Iran.

As explained by the White House, Biden has instructed the US Armed Forces to help in the “defense” of Israel against Iranian attacks and shoot down the missiles that are impacting Israeli territory.

The president had planned a call with rabbis at 1:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. GMT) to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, but a White House official explained to EFE that it was postponed due to the Iranian attacks and will be held in another date.

During the morning, Biden and Harris also met with their national security team after receiving information that Iran could launch an “imminent” ballistic missile attack against Israel.

A projectile flies over the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, on October 1, 2024. EFE/EPA/ATEF SAFADI

These meetings have had the dual objective of helping Israel, a key US ally in the Middle East, defend itself against Iran, and also to protect US troops deployed in the region, according to the White House.

Iran launched a missile attack against Israeli territory on Tuesday afternoon, as confirmed by the Israeli army and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The attacks raised alarm bells throughout the country and, in Jerusalem, missiles could also be seen intercepted in the sky and the sound of their explosion heard.

This is Iran’s first attack against Israel since April, when Iran attacked two Israeli air bases in the Negev with missiles and drones and hit points in the occupied territory of the Golan Heights, although Israel, the United States or Arab countries over which they flew They managed to intercept most of the Iranian projectiles.

Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari had warned earlier this Tuesday that Iran could launch a “large-scale” attack against Israel.

The United States had informed Israel that Iran was preparing to attack, following the assassination on Friday of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hasan Nasrallah, in an Israeli bombing in Beirut in a new Israeli escalation that culminated this morning with a ground invasion in the southern Lebanon.

.