Biden reiterates 'ironclad' support for Israel after Iran's attack

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden reiterated Saturday his nation's "ironclad" support for Israel, shortly after a meeting with his national security team to discuss the Iranian attack on Israel.

"I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran's attacks against Israel," Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," the president added.

A picture that Biden posted along with the text showed that participants of the meeting inside the White House Situation Room included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown, Director of Central Intelligence Agency William Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, among others.

Earlier, US National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that Iran "has begun an airborne attack on Israel," adding that Biden was being "regularly updated on the situation."

Meanwhile, CNN, citing a US defense official, reported that "US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel."

"Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region," the official was quoted as saying.