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- Tensions In the Middle-East: Biden Cuts Weekend Trip Short, Israël Raises Alert Levels
©(Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday he spoke with Israel counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi to reiterate Washington's "ironclad" support.
"During the call, I reiterated the United States' ironclad commitment to the security of Israel," Sullivan said on X, adding the two discussed "events in the Middle East."
The White House pushed back against the seizure of the British-owned vessel. "We call on Iran to release the vessel and its international crew immediately," said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. "Seizing a civilian vessel without provocation is a blatant violation of international law, and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps."
Biden had said on Friday that he expected Iran to retaliate "sooner than later," and earlier this week had said Tehran was "threatening to launch a significant attack."
As fears of an imminent attack on its territory grow, Tel Aviv has raised the alert level. The Israeli army announced the closure of schools and the suspension of educational activities this Sunday due to the Iranian threat. Israeli media reported estimates that the Iranian response would take place within the next few hours.
Unusually, the US President "returns to the White House this afternoon to consult with his national security team on events in the Middle East", his team announced in a message released to the press, without giving further details.
On Thursday, the Pentagon said the top US commander for the Middle East had traveled to Israel for talks on security threats with the country's military officials.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Indian Ocean and, according to the US Energy Information Administration, more than a fifth of annual global oil consumption passes through it each year.
With AFP
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