US President Joe Biden met with his national security team on Saturday night to receive real-time updates on Iran's attack against Israel. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room and was described as tense by a senior administration official.
During the briefing, President Biden was informed about the timing of missile launches, with over 100 ballistic missiles being launched within minutes. Additionally, Iran launched more than 300 air threats, according to a senior military official.
Fortunately, Israel's defenses successfully thwarted the attack, leading to a sense of relief among the officials. President Biden reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Israel's defense during a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The following day, President Biden gathered his advisers early in the Situation Room, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, and Mideast coordinator Brett McGurk.
Preparations for the attack had begun nearly two weeks prior, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Sullivan briefing the president on the possibility of additional military deployments during the visit of the Japanese prime minister to Washington.
