The United States "strongly supports" Israel's right to defend itself, the State Department spokeswoman Heather Naeuert said on Saturday, several hours after Israel hit 12 Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense systems, after an Iranian drone launched from a base in Syria attempted to violate Israeli airspace.
"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," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
"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."
A spokesman for the U.S. Defense Department echoed Nauert, saying that Washington supports Israel's right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its citizens, but emphasized that the U.S. did not take part in the attack on Syrian territory.
The spokesman said the U.S. was interested in generating a tougher global stance against Iran's actions.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the latest escalation in Syria in a telephone call on Saturday, Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Kremlin as saying.
"They discussed the situation around the actions of the Israeli air force, which carried out missile strikes on targets in Syria," Interfax quoted the Kremlin as saying.
Putin reportedly warned Netanyahu to avoid any steps that would lead to a new confrontations in the region.
Russia expressed concern over the recent developments. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "We urge all sides to exercise restraint and to avoid any actions that could lead to an even greater complication of the situation."
"It is necessary to unconditionally respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and other countries in the region," the ministry further said. "It is absolutely unacceptable to threaten the lives and security of Russian servicemen who are in Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government to assist in the fight against terrorist."
