US Denies Iran Provided Advance Notice of Attack on Israel

State Department Spokesperson: "We Do Not Seek War with Iran"

The U.S. government dismissed the Iranian government's claim that it had been informed in advance about Iran's airstrike on Israel on the 13th.

On the 15th (local time), Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stated in a briefing that although there were signs and expectations related to Iran's attack, they did not receive any notification from Iran regarding the "timing and scale" of the attack.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This was a rejection of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's claim that it had notified neighboring countries and the U.S. of the operational plan three days before the Israeli airstrike. Foreign media, citing sources from T?rkiye, also reported that Iran had informed in advance that the airstrike was a limited response to Israel's attack on its consulate, and that this information was conveyed to the U.S.

Spokesperson Miller also reiterated the position that the U.S. does not want an escalation in the Middle East. He said, "(The U.S.) is not seeking war with Iran" and "wants to reduce tensions."

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), also denied reports that Iran had given prior warning of the airstrike during a briefing that day, saying, "That is not true." He explained that while there was communication with the Iranian government, they were not notified about the timing, targets, or methods of the attack.

Additionally, the U.S. announced that it is consulting with governments of the Group of Seven (G7) member countries to impose new multilateral sanctions targeting Iran's missile program and other activities. It also explained that G7 countries that have not designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization are considering doing so.