US Affirms Continued Cooperation With Israel Against Iranian Threats

US deputy special envoy to Iran Abram Paley during a hearing by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on December 13, 2023
US deputy special envoy to Iran Abram Paley during a hearing by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on December 13, 2023

A US official stated on Wednesday that Washington will persist in its close coordination with Israel to counter the full spectrum of Iranian threats amid the war in Gaza.

With Iran's proxy the Houthis directing attacks at Israel and now blocking the Red Sea trade route, during a visit to Israel, Abram Paley, the Deputy Special Envoy for Iran, posted on his X account, "We will continue our close coordination to counter the full range of Iranian threats."

The US has announced it has formed a coalition of 10 nations to counter the threats from Yemen. Meanwhile, on Israel's northern border, Iran's largest proxy, Hezbollah, continues its assault on the Jewish state. Both issues are believed to have been high on the agenda in the US-Israel talks.

The Houthis claim the aggression is in defense of the war in Gaza, a show of support to the Palestinians amid the most brutal war since Iran-backed Hamas took control of the strip. It has led to renewed calls for the Houthis to be redesignated a terror group.

Since October 7, when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been displaced from their homes along both the Gaza and Lebanon borders. Hezbollah, reportedly armed with over 120,000 rockets with Iranian support, poses a significant threat, capable of overwhelming Israel's Iron Dome defenses and triggering a potentially devastating war for both sides.