John Kirby to Iran: 'We are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that'

White House national security spokesman John Kirby maintained that the United States remains committed to Israel.

Kirby assured that the U.S. government stands ready to defend Israel in the face of a possible attack by Iran. He explained that it is difficult to predict the chances of this occurring, but detailed that the U.S. would be prepared to deal with such a situation and takes the threat seriously.

"Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent. One, don't do it. There's no reason to escalate this. There's no reason to potentially start some sort of all-out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that," Kirby said on Tuesday in remarks to Israel's Channel 12 and reported by Reuters.

"We believe that they are still postured and poised to launch an attack should they want to do that, which is why we have that enhanced force posture in the region," Kirby added.

Kirby's remarks follow Iran's threat to avenge the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Two weeks ago, the United States warned of the possibility of a series of significant Iranian strikes against Israel. Along with several European countries, it called on Tehran to "renounce" its threats.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian affirmed, as reported by AFP, that his country has the right to respond to any aggression against it, during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who urged him to avoid escalation in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Kirby explained that U.S. forces will remain in the Middle East as long as the threat remains. "The U.S. maintains two aircraft-carrier strike groups in the Middle East, as well as an extra squadron of F-22 fighter jets," Reuters reported.

Finally, Kirby was optimistic about a possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

"The parties are still engaged and that's a good thing. ... The fact that we've moved on to another level here with working groups now in Doha, that's not a bad thing. It means that the sides are still talking. It means that there's still hope that we can nail down these last few details and move forward," Kirby stressed.