In a recent interview on CNN, John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, joined Wolf Blitzer to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as the rising tensions with Iran.
The conversation touched on several sensitive topics, including the possibility of a U.S. war with Iran and the Biden regime’s stance on the hostage situation involving Hamas.
Blitzer began the interview by asking Kirby about the release of two more hostages by Hamas, questioning what the terrorist organization hopes to achieve by releasing hostages in a piecemeal fashion.
Kirby responded that while it’s difficult to understand Hamas’s motivations, the immediate focus is on securing the release of all hostages, particularly the Americans still being held.
The conversation took a serious turn when Blitzer revealed that CNN had learned of U.S. intelligence indicating plans by Iranian-backed militia groups to ramp up attacks against American forces in the Middle East.
Kirby, while not confirming specific intelligence, emphasized that the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and has sent a strong signal to Iran through additional military capabilities in the region.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, over 12,000 personnel from the US Navy and Marine Corps aboard ten warships have either reached or are en route to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Blitzer directly asked Kirby about the possibility of a U.S. war with Iran. Kirby stated that the U.S. aims to prevent the widening and deepening of the conflict. He warned actors in the region, including Iran, against escalating the situation, reiterating that the U.S. takes its national security interests in the region very seriously.
“I think what we want to see more than anything, Wolf, is no widening of this conflict, no deepening of it. And we continue to send a strong message to actors in the region, including Iran, that if you’re thinking about jumping in here, you’re thinking about deepening and widening and escalating, don’t do it. We will take our national security interests very, very seriously in the region, and we’ve added to the military capabilities to make sure that we can do that,” said Kirby.
Blitzer also questioned Kirby about Biden’s recent comments on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Kirby clarified that the U.S. is not currently considering a ceasefire and continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself.
“I thought the message was pretty clear to Hamas, release all the hostages. That needs to be the first move here. They got to release all the hostages. We’re not talking about a ceasefire right now. In fact, we don’t believe that this is the time for a ceasefire. Israel has a right to defend themselves. They still have work to do to go after Hamas leadership. We’re going to keep supporting them. We’re giving them more security assistance. Your previous guests talked about sort of their operational picture. I’ll let them speak for that. But our focus is on making sure that they have what they need to carry on this fight.
WATCH:
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined Kristen Welker on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ to discuss on the unsettling trend of rising hostilities against U.S. military facilities and personnel in the volatile Middle East region.
The Secretary of State admitted that the Biden regime is “concerned. In fact, we expect that there’s a likelihood of escalation by Iranian proxies directed against our forces, directed against our personnel.”
JUST IN – Blinken: We Expect Escalation by Iran
– We “don’t know” the status of the ten American hostages. We “believe that some significant number are hostages.”
– The U.S. will not hesitate to take military action if the conflict expands
– There is a possibility of… pic.twitter.com/Er2voJqP14
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 22, 2023
