White House: Iran Strikes Carried Out Without Advance Notice

The Biden administration has refuted claims that Iranian officials informed the U.S. in advance about the timing and targets of the drone and missile attacks against Israel on Saturday, calling it “ridiculous.”

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing Turkish, Jordanian, and Iraqi officials, that Iran had provided notice to neighboring countries and the U.S. days before launching its drone and missile attack on Israel. The attack, which occurred on Saturday, consisted of hundreds of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory.

“We do communicate with Iran, and vice versa, but there was never any message to us or others regarding the timing, targets, or type of response,” stated National Security Adviser John Kirby during Monday’s press briefing. “I want to make it clear: The narrative that Iran conveyed details of their attack plans to us is unfounded.”

Although President Joe Biden had warned on Friday about a potential Iranian attack on Israel, Kirby emphasized that it did not mean the U.S. had received advance notice of specific details like timeframe and targets.

“I never said we were unaware,” Kirby clarified. “We had information that allowed us to communicate with our Israeli counterparts.”

When asked why U.S. allies in Turkey and Iraq reported receiving advance information, Kirby responded, “I can’t explain that. I’m just telling you that it is not true. Imagine a scenario where Iran would notify others in advance about launching a large-scale attack on Israel. It simply did not happen. I can’t speak for the sources you mentioned, but from our interactions with Iran, there was no specific information provided on targets, timing, or munitions to be used.”