World
US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel speaking to reporters on April 18, 2024. Photo: Handout
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Thursday said that Tehran launched most of the missiles and drones against Israel earlier this month from Iran.
Iran launched a massive aerial assault consisting of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles towards Israel in the late hours of Saturday night, marking the culmination of repeated threats over the past two weeks by Tehran to retaliate for an attack on its embassy in Damascus. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack despite the latter never claiming responsibility for it.
“The vast majority of Iran’s attacks on Israel were launched from Iran. They were unprecedented and reckless and we condemn them in the strongest terms,” Patel told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a press briefing on Thursday.
“We agree with our partners in Iraq that it is critical to avoid regional escalation and it's something that we're continuing to work on with our Iraqi partners. It's also why we've urged the Iraqi government to continue to take action against militants and weapons that are outside of their control,” he added.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani told CNN on Wednesday that their military investigations have not obtained any clue that the latest attacks against Israel by Iran were launched from Iraq.
Iran has woven an intricate network of alliances under the umbrella of the Axis of Resistance through conflict and has evolved over time as Tehran has been increasingly sanctioned by the West.
“Over the past few days, the President [Joe Biden] and Secretary [Antony] Blinken have had a number of consultations with partners in the region and around the world and will continue to push this engagement forward with world leaders on a way forward in the face of Iran's destabilizing and malign behavior,” Patel noted.
The US on Thursday sanctioned 16 Iranian individuals and two entities for their alleged involvement in Iran’s UAV program, steel industry and automobile manufacture.
“The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone program that enabled this brazen assault. As I discussed with my fellow G7 leaders the morning after the attack, we are committed to acting collectively to increase economic pressure on Iran,” Biden said in a statement.
“And our allies and partners have or will issue additional sanctions and measures to restrict Iran’s destabilizing military programs,” he added.
He noted that his administration has so far sanctioned over 600 individuals and entities “including Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah.”
Iran launched a massive aerial assault consisting of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles towards Israel in the late hours of Saturday night, marking the culmination of repeated threats over the past two weeks by Tehran to retaliate for an attack on its embassy in Damascus. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack despite the latter never claiming responsibility for it.
“The vast majority of Iran’s attacks on Israel were launched from Iran. They were unprecedented and reckless and we condemn them in the strongest terms,” Patel told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a press briefing on Thursday.
“We agree with our partners in Iraq that it is critical to avoid regional escalation and it's something that we're continuing to work on with our Iraqi partners. It's also why we've urged the Iraqi government to continue to take action against militants and weapons that are outside of their control,” he added.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani told CNN on Wednesday that their military investigations have not obtained any clue that the latest attacks against Israel by Iran were launched from Iraq.
Iran has woven an intricate network of alliances under the umbrella of the Axis of Resistance through conflict and has evolved over time as Tehran has been increasingly sanctioned by the West.
“Over the past few days, the President [Joe Biden] and Secretary [Antony] Blinken have had a number of consultations with partners in the region and around the world and will continue to push this engagement forward with world leaders on a way forward in the face of Iran's destabilizing and malign behavior,” Patel noted.
The US on Thursday sanctioned 16 Iranian individuals and two entities for their alleged involvement in Iran’s UAV program, steel industry and automobile manufacture.
“The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government’s missile and drone program that enabled this brazen assault. As I discussed with my fellow G7 leaders the morning after the attack, we are committed to acting collectively to increase economic pressure on Iran,” Biden said in a statement.
“And our allies and partners have or will issue additional sanctions and measures to restrict Iran’s destabilizing military programs,” he added.
He noted that his administration has so far sanctioned over 600 individuals and entities “including Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah.”
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