President Joe Biden says the U.S. is “devoted” to defending Israel and “Iran will not succeed.”

Israel is bracing for a possible Iranian attack after an airstrike killed two Iranian generals in Syria last week. Iran has blamed Israel for the airstrike and vowed revenge. Israel has not commented on the strike.

Biden answered a couple of shouted questions at the White House on Friday, after delivering a virtual speech to the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network Convention on racial justice in New York.

Asked what his message was for Iran, the president’s only reply was: “Don’t.”

He was asked about the possibility of deploying additional U.S. troops to the Middle East and said, “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel.”

“We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed,” Biden added. He ignored a question about what would trigger a direct U.S. military response.

Asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel was, Biden said he didn’t want to get into secure information, “but my expectation is sooner than later.”

The apparent Israeli airstrike and promised Iranian retaliation has raised concerns about the U.S. being pulled into deeper regional conflict.

Since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began six months ago, there have been near-daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group along the Israel-Lebanon border.

U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war began on Oct. 7.

One attack in late January killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria. There have been no publicly reported attacks on U.S. troops in the region since that response.

Israel’s military says it has prepared plans to respond to a possible Iranian attack.

The army’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said late Friday that Israel is ready for a “wide variety of scenarios” that include both defensive and offensive actions. He also said that Israel’s military chief has completed a situation assessment with the head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, who is visiting Israel.

“Our defenses are ready and know how to deal with every threat separately,” Hagari told reporters. “Next to defense, we are prepared to attack. We are ready to attack with a range of capabilities and we know how to act and protect the people of Israel.”

Iran has a number of proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen that are all capable of striking Israel. Iran also possesses long-range missiles that can reach Israel. Israeli leaders have threatened to strike Iran directly if it attacks.

Hagari said the visit by Kurilla is meant to “guarantee that the coordination between us is tight.”

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Chairs for the Bibas family, hostages held in Gaza at a Passover seder table set on Thursday at the communal dining hall at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, where a quarter of all residents were killed or captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)