Biden's Message To Iran Against Targeting US Troops In Middle East After Latter's 'US Will Not Be Spared' Warning

Joe Biden has warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel in the Middle East amid the war between Israel and Hamas that broke out after a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.

After a spate of attacks on American forces in the Middle East, United States President Joe Biden has warned Iran against targeting U.S. personnel in the Middle East, the White House said on Thursday. Speaking at a news briefing, White House spokesman John Kirby said, "There was a direct message relayed,” as reported by the news agency Reuters. This comes after Iran issued a warning to the US over Israel's retaliation against Hamas militants in Gaza.

Iran's mission to the United Nations, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. officials are seeking to avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East after the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

The Pentagon said that around 900 additional U.S. troops are headed to the region or have recently arrived there to strengthen air defences to protect U.S. personnel amid a surge in attacks in the region by Iran-affiliated groups, Reuters reported.

U.S. troops have been attacked at least 12 times in Iraq and four times in Syria in the past week, it further stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, Joe Biden stated that he had issued a warning to Ayatollah that the United States would respond if U.S. forces continued to be targeted, although he did not say how the message was communicated.

"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 told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.

On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, warned that if Israel's retaliation against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip doesn't end, then the United States will "not be spared from this fire."

Speaking at the UN, Amirabdollahian said, "I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome an expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire," as quoted by Reuters.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to play its part in this very important humanitarian endeavour, along with Qatar and Turkey. Naturally, the release of the 6,000 Palestinian prisoners is another necessity and responsibility of the global community," he further stated.