Israel says it has ended strikes on targets in Iran

Israel’s targeted, retaliatory strike on Iran is expected to be the last of the direct, back-and-forth military actions between the two countries, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration said tonight.

“This should be the end of direct military exchange between Israel and Iran,” the official said. “As far as we’re concerned, this should shut down the direct exchange between Israel and Iran.”

The official said this was the “very strong view” of the US and “has been communicated to our partners across the region”.

The official said Biden and his security team “worked with the Israelis in recent weeks to encourage Israel to conduct a response that was targeted and proportionate with low risk of civilian harm, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.”

In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Biden said any attack should be designed to deter further attacks against Israel and reduce the risk of further escalation, the official said.

“We don’t want to see that happen,” the official said, referring to any possibility that Iran could respond.

The source stressed that the United States had no direct role in Israel’s attacks, which came “in multiple waves.” But if Iran targets Israel directly, the United States has vowed to stand by its ally.

“If Iran chooses to respond, we are fully prepared to defend ourselves again against any attack,” the official said.