UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: U.S. destroyers "fired approximately a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles," said Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that "U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli air defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles."

WH’s Jake Sullivan on the Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel:

“Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel. The United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel against this attack. U.S. naval… pic.twitter.com/EZQSFQ9kK0

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 1, 2024

Original article: As Iran rains rockets down on Israel, the White House has ordered the U.S. military to help Israel defend itself. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on X:

.@POTUS and @VP convened two meetings with their national security team in the WH Situation Room today and are receiving regular updates. The President directed the US military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks & shoot down missiles targeting Israel. They also…

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) October 1, 2024

“The White House says US President Joe Biden convened a meeting earlier this morning with Vice President Kamala Harris and their national security advisers to discuss what was at the time Iran’s imminent attack on Israel,” reports the Times of Israel.

Barrons reports that "President Joe Biden ordered the US military on Tuesday to 'aid Israel's defense' and shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel, the White House said."

"A senior White House official [said] that Iran would face 'severe consequences' if it carried out the attack, which the U.S. raised the alarm over earlier Tuesday," adds Middle East Monitor.

Iran's attack on Israel comes after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the weekend. Tensions between Israel and its Lebanese and Iranian nemeses have been ratcheting higher in the last few weeks, and Israel has been on edge since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 of last year.

This turn of events is a big deal. It's one thing for the U.S. to provide aid to Israel while it's under attack, but it's another matter altogether for American personnel to actively shoot down Iranian missiles. 

On the other hand, this decision falls in line with the muddled policy that the Biden-Harris administration is taking regarding Israel and Iran. The White House has continually pursued a nuclear deal similar to the one that the Obama administration made with Iran, while both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have signaled that Israel has been too stringent in defending itself.

The Associated Press is also reporting that Iraqi militias with Iran’s backing are warning of retaliation:

Iran-backed Iraqi militias say if the U.S. takes part in “any hostile action” against Iran then American interests in the region will be under threat.

The statement Tuesday from the group calling itself the Coordination Committee for the Iraqi Resistance also warned Israel against using Iraqi airspace to retaliate against Iran for a missile barrage fired at Israel, saying “all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target.”

Iran-backed militias in Iraq regularly target bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria with drones, saying they are retaliating for Washington’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.