Biden says US had 'no knowledge of or participation in' latest Israeli attacks

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has said he is waiting for more information before commenting on Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon's capital Beirut, reiterating that the US was not involved in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation. "We're still gathering information, I can tell you — the US had no knowledge of or participation in the IDF action. We're gathering more information. I'll have more to say when we have more information," Biden told reporters traveling with him in Delaware, US.

CNN reported earlier on Friday that, according to a US official, Israel informed the US of the operation once it was already underway and Israel had planes in the air. "We had no foreknowledge of this and that does not qualify as a heads up," the official said.

An Israeli official told CNN the notification was sent "shortly before" the strike, and the US did not play a role in the operation. Pressed if he believed the strikes — which CNN has reported were targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah — were justified, Biden declined to comment on it. "We have to get more detail, he said. "I don't know enough to answer that question." He said he's "always concerned," about the conflict escalating tensions in the region.

While condemning Israel's deadly strikes on Beirut, Iran had called the attack a "war crime" and also claimed that the US was complicit. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the strikes as a "flagrant war crime" that "once again reveals the terrorist nature of the Israeli regime", the state news agency Press TV reported.

Iran's foreign ministry also denounced the strikes in Beirut's suburbs, describing the attack as a "barbaric" act facilitated by American-supplied bombs. "While the Israeli regime must be held accountable for the atrocity crimes they have been committing in occupied Palestine and Lebanon, one cannot disregard the US complicity," foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said while addressing the UN Security Council on Friday. "Israel's war-mongering relies on US military support and political backing."

Both the Israeli and American governments should be held accountable, the ministry's spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said. "The ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestine and Lebanon exposes the hollow nature of Western calls for ceasefire, serving only to prolong Zionist atrocities," Kanaani added.

The Iranian Embassy in Beirut said the Israeli strike on Friday "changes the rules of the game" and warned Israel would be punished. "The Israeli regime once again commits a bloody massacre, targeting heavily populated residential neighborhoods, spewing false justifications to try and cover up its brutal crimes," the Embassy posted on X. "There is no doubt that this reprehensible crime and reckless behaviour represent a serious escalation that changes the rules of the game, and that its perpetrator will be punished appropriately."

Earlier, US secretary of state Antony Blinken also said on Friday that the US is still trying to learn more about the Israeli strikes in Beirut. "We are still gathering information, making sure that we fully understand what happened, what the intent was — and until we have that information, I can't address in detail our response to it, so we'll continue to work on that in the hours ahead," Blinken said at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The senior US diplomat again stressed the need to pursue a diplomatic solution to the tensions in the region and to avoid a wider war. Blinken, speaking hours after a major Israeli strike in Lebanon reportedly targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, made a forceful plea for diplomacy in West Asia, saying while Israel has the right to defend itself, "the way it does so matters".

"The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on, with profound consequences for its people, now and possibly for years to come," Blinken said at a news conference on the sidelines of the UNGA.

He warned that not pursing diplomacy would lead to "more conflict, more violence, more suffering, and greater instability and insecurity, the ripples of which will be felt around the world". The diplomat also claimed a path to diplomacy still exists, though it may seem difficult to see at this moment. "In our judgment, it is necessary and we will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge them to choose that course," he said.

Blinken's comments come days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled his unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire proposal championed by the US. Blinken also echoed defence secretary Lloyd Austin's recent comments warning other parties in the region such as Iran not to use the escalation between Israel and Lebanon to target US assets in the region.