White House says strikes in Lebanon, Iran ‘not helpful’

The White House said Wednesday the Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Iran are not helpful while they seek a cease-fire deal to end the conflict in the Middle East.

“These reports over the last 24, 48 hours certainly don’t help with the temperature going down,” John Kirby, the White House National Security Council communications adviser, told reporters. “We’re obviously concerned about escalation.”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a strike on Iranian soil early Wednesday morning, and the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directly blamed Israel for the strike, vowing revenge over it.

Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was not involved in the death of the Hamas leader.

Kirby noted the recent events complicate the pending deal that aims to end the war in Gaza.

“All of this adds to the complicated nature of what we’re trying to get done,” he said Wednesday during the White House press briefing. “What we’re trying to get done is a cease-fire deal that can get you six weeks in phase one, a lot of hostages, the most at risk, out of there and with their families again. And get some more humanitarian assistance in there.”

“When you have events, traumatic events, violent events caused by whatever, it certainly doesn’t make the task of achieving that outcome any easier,” Kirby added.

He also stressed the focus that President Biden has on securing a cease-fire deal. The president and Vice President Harris discussed the deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while he was in Washington last week.

“The deal on the table is a good one, both sides ought to accept it, they ought to sit down in earnest and hash out the details … and let’s move forward,” Kirby said.