Israel to Arab countries: Coming response to Iran won’t endanger you, the region

Following Iran’s Saturday night attack on Israel, Western and Middle Eastern partners have worried about Israel’s next steps and questioned what the retaliation could resemble.

Israel has reportedly sent messages to Arab countries across the Middle East saying that it will not respond to Iran’s drone and missile attack in a way that would endanger these countries or their governments, KAN reported early on Tuesday.

This comes amid rising questions of how and when Israel should respond to Iran’s attacks early Sunday morning, with both Western and Middle Eastern partners cautioning Israel on its next steps.

Regional partners like Jordan supported Israel during the Iranian attack, with the Jordanian air force joining the US, UK, France, and other countries in downing Iranian drones and missiles flying toward Israel.

Jordanian officials have been in contact with the Biden administration. Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke to US President Joe Biden over the phone, saying that Jordan wouldn’t support regional war and is against any escalation by Israel.

Middle Eastern partners assisted Israel but concerned about region’s stability

Additionally, Saudi Arabia confirmed that it had taken part in repelling Iran’s attack, as many drones and missiles flew over both Jordanian and Saudi airspaces, prompting the Saudis to engage in interceptions.

The Biden administration actively aided Israel in its defense but has also warned Israel that the US is not interested in war with Iran. According to an NBC report on Tuesday, US officials believe that Israel’s response to Iran could be limited and involve targeting Iranian forces, proxies, or weapons not on Iranian territory.

The US officials also told NBC that Israel has not briefed the United States on their final decision regarding a counter-offensive, which could come at any moment.