U.S. military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel
WASHINGTON —The U.S. military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, American officials told Paste BN on June 13.
It wasn't immediately clear which U.S. military assets were used. Israel said fewer than 100 rockets had been fired.
Iran launched three waves of retaliatory missile strikes less than a day after Israel bombed the country's nuclear facilities and killed top generals and nuclear scientists during an overnight attack.
The United States indicated that it was aware of Israel's plans to strike Iran — but said it was not involved in the military operation that threatened to destabilize the region and derail the administration's diplomatic efforts.
President Donald Trump's administration had been negotiating a deal with Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program. Prior to the strike a sixth round of talks were set to take place in Oman. Trump continued to push for an agreement with Iran on June 13 in a round of calls with journalists and statements on his social media platform.
"There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
Trump was in and out of closed-door meetings much of the day and met privately with his National Security Council. He also spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a U.S. official said.
Netanyahu thanked Trump for his leadership in an overnight address. But hours before the assault, Trump publicly pushed Netanyahu not to strike.
"As long as I think there is an agreement, I don't want them going in, because I think that would blow it. Might help it, actually. But it also could blow it," Trump told reporters during a White House event.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the acting White House national security adviser, said in a June 12 statement that Israel acted unilaterally.
"President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," Rubio said.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans live in Israel and roughly 40,000 U.S. servicemembers were stationed in the Middle East as of last April.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook