As the Israel-Hamas war appears to be growing into a larger regional conflict, US President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, against jumping into the conflict. The 80-year-old US president said Washington would respond should Tehran escalate the conflict in the Middle East.
Biden made these remarks during a Washington joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday as they shared their stand on Israel, Ukraine, and China during a state visit. “We have had troops in the region since 9/11 to go after ISIS and prevent its reemergence in the region — having nothing to do with Israel at all. My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared. It has nothing to do with Israel. ,” he said, according to a transcript released by the White House.
President Biden met with Prime Minister Albanese in the Oval Office to strengthen the U.S.-Australia alliance and discuss key priorities – including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, supporting Ukraine, and standing with Israel in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack. pic.twitter.com/0BtRkN6yIh— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 25, 2023
Albanese’s visit underscored the importance Washington places on longtime ally Australia as a cornerstone of its strategy against an increasingly assertive Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region. “A great deal of the history of our world will be written in the Indo-Pacific in the coming years,” Biden said, using the allies’ term for the region. “Australia and the United States must write that story together.”
During a day of pomp and ceremony at the White House, Biden said the alliance between Australia and the United States is an anchor to peace and prosperity. At a joint press conference with Biden, Albanese said the bond between the two countries was crucial in an “uncertain world.” “The relationship between Australia and the United States has never been more important. And it has never been stronger than it is right now,” he said.
Though the US-Australia alliance focuses much of its might on the Indo-Pacific, the majority of Biden’s press conference on Wednesday was centered around the Middle East. Biden said both nations were “standing with Israel against Hamas terrorism”.
Following the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli response in Gaza, Biden has repeatedly warned Iranian proxy groups such as Hezbollah, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization, not to use the current war as cover to launch attacks.