US warns Iran of severe consequences after thwarted ballistic missile attack on Israel

The United States warned Iran that it would face severe consequences for its ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, saying the barrage marked a significant escalation but appeared to have been thwarted.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said US military forces in the region helped Israel defeat the attack and that the Biden administration was now consulting with Israel on a response.

"This is a significant escalation by Iran, a significant event," Sullivan told reporters at the White House. "We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case."

Sullivan did not specify what those consequences might be, but he stopped short of urging restraint by Israel as the US did in April when Iran carried out a drone and missile attack on Israel.

Sullivan said President Joe Biden's administration was still monitoring the situation and collecting information.

Iran's ballistic missile attack marks a steep escalation of tensions in the region, despite months of intense negotiations by the Biden administration and regular pledges that a ceasefire to end the Gaza conflict was imminent.

Biden, in the waning months of his term, already faces sharp criticism at home and abroad for US military support of Israel, as does his Vice President and the Democrats' presidential candidate Kamala Harris.