Holy *expletive deleted*it, if this is true...
News reports and sources allege that Biden KNEW about the Iranian attack in advance and essentially said the US wouldn't interfere as long as it stayed within certain parameters.
https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2024/04/15/bombshell-jerusalem-post-reports-that-biden-told-iran-only-to-attack-israel-within-certain-limits-n2395089
That's pretty common in these "We gotta do something but not start a full war" attacks. We knew (pretty much, not exactly) when missiles were going to be launched in response to Soleimani. The question was whether Iran was going to do something restrained, kick this bitch off full steam, or try to do something restrained and *expletive deleted*ck it up to kick this bitch off*.
I'd be shocked if Iran hadn't told everyone with a military presence in the Mid East roughly when they were launching, as that tends to keep the other neighbors (us included) from thinking those missiles are coming at our stuff and launching back. I'm also not surprised that the US passed through an ally some version of "We said don't, and we wish you wouldn't, but if you must: for real, no *expletive deleted*it, if you cross [insert red line here] we will be forced to *expletive deleted*ck your *expletive deleted*it up. Google Operation Praying Mantis."
So yeah, that's how this kind of thing works. Putin has probably sent a message to Israel about the response that says something similar.
*Side note: They came pretty close to that last choice. Iranian ballistic missiles aren't the most accurate things ever, and while they were targeting the flight lines where the Predators were parked, they got the azmith a bit off on one string of missiles. I remember looking at pictures of craters that paralleled a flight line just offset, but actually fell *very* close to the barracks/Shelter the US personnel were sheltering from the attack. That is the risk you take when you try a "proportional response"
