Iran says it gave warning before attacking Israel. US says that's not true
Item
1 of 3 A police officer and residents inspect the remains of a rocket
booster that, according to Israeli authorities critically injured a
7-year-old girl, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel,
near Arad, Israel, April 14, 2024. REUTERS/Christophe van
der Perre/File Photo
[1/3]A
police officer and residents inspect the remains of a rocket booster
that, according to Israeli authorities critically injured a 7-year-old
girl, after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, near Arad,
Israel, April 14, 2024. REUTERS/Christophe van der Perre/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD/DUBAI,
April 14 (Reuters) - Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials said on
Sunday that Iran gave wide notice days before its
drone and missile attack on Israel, but U.S. officials said Tehran did not warn Washington and that it was aiming to cause significant damage.
Iran
launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday in a retaliatory
strike after a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in
Syria.
Most
of the drones and missiles were downed before reaching Israeli
territory, though a young girl was critically injured and there were
widespread concerns of further escalation.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran gave
neighbouring countries and Israel's ally the United States 72 hours'
notice it would launch the strikes.
Turkey's
Foreign Ministry said it had spoken to both Washington and Tehran
before the attack, adding it had conveyed messages as an intermediary to
be sure reactions were proportionate.
"Iran
said the reaction would be a response to Israel’s attack on its embassy
in Damascus and that it would not go beyond this. We were aware of the
possibilities. The developments were not a surprise," said a Turkish
diplomatic source.
One
senior official in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration denied
Amirabdollahian's statement, saying Washington did have contact with
Iran through Swiss intermediaries but did not get notice 72 hours in
advance.
"That
is absolutely not true,” the official said. “They did not give a
notification, nor did they give any sense of ... 'these will be the
targets, so evacuate them.'"
Tehran
sent the United States a message only after the strikes began and the
intent was to be "highly destructive" said the official, adding that
Iran's claim of a widespread warning may be an attempt to compensate for
the lack of any major damage from the attack.
"We
received a message from the Iranians as this was ongoing, through the
Swiss. This was basically suggesting that they were finished after this,
but it was still an ongoing attack. So that was (their) message to us,"
the U.S. official said.
Iraqi,
Turkish and Jordanian officials each said Iran had provided early
warning of the attack last week, including some details.
The attack with drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles risked causing major casualties and escalating the conflict.
U.S.
officials said on Friday and Saturday they expected an imminent attack
and urged Iran against one, with Biden tersely saying his only message
to Tehran was: "Don't."
ESCALATION
Two
Iraqi sources, including a government security adviser and a security
official, said Iran had used diplomatic channels to inform Baghdad about
the attack at least three days before it happened.
The
exact timing of the attack was not disclosed at that point, but was
passed to Iraqi security and military authorities hours before the
strikes, allowing Baghdad to close its airspace and avoid fatal
accidents.
"The
government clearly understood from the Iranian officials that the U.S.
military in Iraq was also aware of the attack in advance," said the
Iraqi security official.
A
senior Jordanian official said Iran had summoned Arab envoys in Tehran
on Wednesday to inform them of their intention to carry out an attack,
though it did not specify the timing.
Asked
if Iran had also given details about the targets and kind of weapons to
be used, the Jordanian source did not respond directly but indicated
that that was the case.
An
Iranian source briefed on the matter said Iran had informed the U.S.
through diplomatic channels that included Qatar, Turkey and Switzerland
about the scheduled day of the attack, saying it would be conducted in a
manner to avoid provoking a response.
How
far escalation can be avoided remains in question. Biden has told
Israel the United States will not join any Israeli retaliation, the U.S.
official said.
However,
Israel is still weighing its response and will "exact the price from
Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us", Israeli minister
Benny Gantz said on Sunday.
Reporting
by Jeff Mason and Rami Ayyub in Washington, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara,
Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Parisa Hafezi and Samia Nakhoul in Dubai;
Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Susan Fenton and Lisa Shumaker