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President Biden left a question about Iran’s recent attacks against Israel unanswered at a press conference on Monday.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked the question shortly before Biden departed from his presser with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Several reporters began shouting questions at the two world leaders, but Doocy’s query rang loud and clear.
“President Biden, you told Iran, ‘Don’t,’ and they did it anyway, so what now?” the journalist asked.
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President Biden listens as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on April 15, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Doocy’s question was a reference to Biden’s previous warning against the Iranian regime on Friday. He said that an Iranian strike against Israel was imminent, less than a day before the airstrikes commenced.
At the time, Biden told reporters that his only message to Iran was, “Don’t.” His response sparked outrage from Republicans.
“So much for President Biden telling bad guys ‘Don’t’ actually being an effective deterrent,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote in an X post on Saturday. “Every time he says ’Don’t,’ they do.”
“Under President Trump, Iran was broke,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said Saturday. “President Biden gifted them billions of dollars and then naively said ‘don’t.’”
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Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Iraq’s prime minister, left, and President Biden, right, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“‘Don’t’ is not a foreign policy. Joe Biden’s policies have funded Iran’s attack on Israel,” Blackburn continued.
In the days since the attack, the White House has signaled support for Israel.
National Security Advisor of the United States Jake Sullivan said he spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, on Saturday.
“During the call, I reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to the security of Israel,” Sullivan explained.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also said that he expressed support to his Israeli counterpart on Saturday.
An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
“I spoke to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to reiterate unwavering U.S. support for Israel’s defense,” Austin wrote. “The United States stands with Israel amid threats from Iran and its regional proxies.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Andrea Vacchiano is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can follow her on X at @andrea_vacch or send story tips to andrea.vacchiano@fox.com.
