Pentagon says it's up to Israel to decide if, when and how they respond to Iran

The US support for the defense of Israel is robust and demonstrates the long standing cooperative relationship the US has not only with Israel, but with countries throughout the region, the Pentagon said Monday. 

It's pretty telling that Iran launched over 300 air defense threats and 99% of those were knocked down, Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. The ability to interoperate together saved many lives, he said. 

On Saturday over 110 Medium Range Ballistic missiles were launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen enroute to Israel with over 30 Land Attack Cruise missiles and over 150 UAVs, Ryder said. 

US forces engaged for several hours during attack 

CENTCOM forces supported by the US Navy destroyers USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney currently assigned to the European Command AOR successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack UAVs and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen, Ryder said. 

US engagement occurred over several hours, he added. 

Ryder said US focus right now remains on the defense of Israel and on the protection of US forces. 

"If you take a step back and you look at US force presence in the region writ large, we have been focused for a very long time on regional security and stability, and that's not going to change when it comes to discussions that we have with our partners in the region," Ryder said. 

Ryder declined to comment on a possible Israeli response to the attacks.

"We are in regular contact with our Israeli partners," Ryder said. "When it comes to any type of Israeli response, again, I'm not going to speak for the Israelis. That is a decision for them to make in terms of what they do, if they do it and how they do it."

Ryder said the US continues to make clear it does not want a wider war.