A Pentagon spokesman on Saturday said the US "fully supports" Israel's right to self-defense and "shares" the concerns that Iran is destabilizing the Middle East.
Just prior to 4:00a.m. Saturday morning, an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace from Syria, remaining in Israel some 90 seconds before the IAF shot it down. In response to the provocation, Israel attacked the drone's command center. During the IAF operation, Syrian surface-to-air missiles downed an Israeli F-16I fighter jet. Both pilots suffered injuries, and ejected after reaching Israeli territory.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Adrian Rankine-Galloway said, "The [US] Department of Defense did not participate in this military operation."
"Israel is our closest security partner in the region and we fully support Israel’s inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people.
"We share the concerns of many throughout the region that Iran’s destabilizing activities that threaten international peace and security, and we seek greater international resolve in countering Iran’s malign activities."
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "The United States is deeply concerned about today's escalation of violence over Israel's border and strongly supports Israel's sovereign right to defend itself."
"Iran's calculated escalation of threat, and its ambition to project its power and dominance, places all the people of the region - from Yemen to Lebanon - at risk.
"The US continues to push back on the totality of Iran's malign activities in the region and calls for an end to Iranian behavior that threatens peace and stability."
