U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (October 1) that there was an active discussion ongoing over how Israel would respond to an Iranian ballistic missile attack and that the consequences for Tehran remain to be seen, Reuters reports.
Biden, speaking at the White House, said he would be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Iran's attack appeared to have been ineffective.
United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday (October 1) condemned Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel as a significant escalation, adding Israel appeared to have defeated the attack without loss of life.
"This is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event, and it is equally significant that we were able to step up with Israel and create a situation in which no one was killed in this attack in Israel," Sullivan told reporters at the White House.
"We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case," he said.
Sullivan said President Biden's administration was still monitoring the situation and consulting with the Israelis on next steps in terms of a response. He also said that the administration was tracking the reported death of a Palestinian civilian in the West Bank.
