White House national security spokesperson John Kirby warned in an interview with Israeli media that the danger of an Iranian attack on Israel remains even after Israel foiled a massive attack by Hezbollah on Sunday morning. “We believe that they are still postured and poised to launch an attack should they want to do that, which is why we have that enhanced force posture in the region,” Kirby told Channel 12 News. He added, “Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent. One, don’t do it. There’s no reason to escalate this. There’s no reason to potentially start some sort of all out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that.” Kirby also stated that the US aircraft carriers that were moved into the region in the face of the Iranian threat would remain "as long as we feel like we need to keep it in place to help defend Israel and defend our own troops and facilities in the region." Related articles: 'Obstacles from Hamas are preventing a deal' 'We welcome Israel’s decision to send delegation to Qatar' 'Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal' Watch: John Kirby emotionally recites prayer for the hostages Addressing the ceasefire talks, Kirby stated, "The parties are still engaged and that's a good thing." "The fact that we've moved on to another level here with working groups now in Doha, that's not a bad thing. It means that the sides are still talking. It means that there's still hope that we can nail down these last few details and move forward," he said.
