US says will coordinate response to Iran attacks with Israel
Iran threatens 'crushing attacks' if Israel responds to missiles
The United States said Tuesday that Iran must suffer "consequences" for its ballistic missile attack on Israel and the United States will coordinate a response with Israeli officials.
"Of course, there must be consequences for Iran for this attack," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
"I'm not going to get into what those consequences are today, but there are things on which we will be coordinating with our Israeli counterparts," Miller said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that Washington had "increased force readiness" in the region in anticipation of the Iranian attack.
The call appeared to have taken place before Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israel.
"The Secretary and Minister Gallant discussed the severe consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iran had launched tens of missiles at Israel, and that if Israel retaliated Tehran's response would be "more crushing and ruinous". Tehran targeted three Israeli military bases in its attack, Iran's state news agency said.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack would have consequences, as did Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon.
"As we have previously made clear to the international community, any enemy that attacks Israel should expect a painful response", Danon said in a statement.