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“Different conflicts”. The US will not shoot down drones over Ukraine, as they did over Israel

Author:
Liza Brovko
Date:

Getty Images / «Babel'»

The United States military will not shoot down Iranian drones that Russia launches over Ukraine, as they did for Israel during the Iranian attack.

This was reported by White House National Security Adviser John Kirby.

At the White House briefing, he was asked why the US military, together with its allies, helped Israel shoot down drones launched by Iran, but did not help Ukraine with this.

"These are different conflicts, different airspace, and different threats," Kirby said.

And he added that US President Joe Biden has given a clear understanding since the beginning of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war that Washington will not take part in the conflict in a military role.

According to the adviser, the US provided Ukraine with everything it needed for defense, but now the aid has stopped due to the lack of additional funding for the military support Kyiv needs.

The other day, John Kirby stated that the issue of financing Israel and Ukraine should be brought before the House of Representatives "as soon as possible." Then the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson presented four separate bills on aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and on national security priorities. Bills will be submitted for consideration by the end of this week.

What is happening between Iran and Israel

On the morning of April 1, there was an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Then two Iranian generals and five officers were killed, including the influential Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran blamed Israel for the attack.

After the strike, Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that "the Zionist regime will be punished." Khameneiʼs military adviser later threatened that none of Israelʼs embassies were "secure anymore."

Following Iranʼs threats to retaliate, the IDF strengthened its defenses on April 4 and put units and reserves on alert. On April 12 and 13, the American media reported that Iran was preparing a missile-drone attack on Israel.

Late in the evening of April 13, Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones. The Israeli army said that 99% of the targets were shot down. These are 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles. Some rockets hit the Nevatim airbase in the south of the country, but the damage there is minor. Most of the targets were shot down over Iraq and Jordan. US and British fighter jets helped Israel repel the air defense attack. France also helped, but it is not yet known what exactly.