National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, did not rule out the possibility of strikes inside Iran. This comes after the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Friday targeting Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria in response to the killing of three American soldiers.
When asked by moderator Kristen Welker if strikes inside Iran were off the table, Sullivan stated, “I’m not going to get into what’s on the table and off the table when it comes to the American response.” Despite repeated questioning, he maintained a position of not disclosing specifics regarding potential military actions.
Jake Sullivan (Credits: Axios)
Shifting the focus to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Welker inquired about the number of hostages and their status. Sullivan expressed the difficulty in obtaining a clear picture due to the operational tactics of Hamas within Gaza. He mentioned the challenges of discerning the exact number of hostages and cited the discovery that at least two American citizens thought to be hostages had tragically passed away on Oct. 7.
Over 130 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 are estimated to be in Gaza, with some presumed dead. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a stand-alone bill to provide aid to Israel, responding to the current circumstances. When questioned about President Joe Biden’s potential response to the bill, Sullivan dismissed it as a “ploy” and not a serious effort to address national security challenges.
