SECOND FRONT

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Warns of ‘Escalation’ in Israel-Hamas War

“We can’t rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some way; we have to prepare for every possible contingency,” Jake Sullivan said Sunday.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said “there is a risk of an escalation” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Speaking to CBS’ Face the Nation, Sullivan said there was the possibility “of the opening of a second front in the north, and of course of Iran’s involvement—that is a risk. And that’s a risk that we have been mindful of since the start… We can’t rule out that Iran would choose to get directly engaged some way; we have to prepare for every possible contingency.” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told Fox News that the White House was worried about “a potential escalation or a widening of this conflict.” Sullivan also discussed a new U.S. weapons package for Israel and Ukraine—the value of which would be “significantly higher” than $2 billion. “You can expect intensive engagement with Congress this very week, as we work on such a package and seek to secure bipartisan support for it,” Sullivan said.