JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear program in response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

“The answer is no,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would support such retaliation after Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

Biden’s comments came after he and fellow Group of Seven leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom spoke by telephone about coordinating new sanctions against Iran.

The U.S. and allies are scrambling to keep the Mideast conflict —sparked by Iran-backed Hamas militants’ in Gaza’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel—from spreading further. They are urging Israel to show restraint as it weighs retaliation against Iran for Tuesday’s attack.

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AP AUDIO: Biden won’t support a strike on Iran nuclear sites as Israel weighs response to Iran missile attack

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports President Biden is urging Israel to be careful in how it responds to yesterday’s Iranian missile barrage.

Israel is now carrying out what it has described as limited ground operations across its northern border with Lebanon to dig out Hezbollah, another Iran-backed group, after carrying out a series of massive air strikes that killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimated its leadership.

Last month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack

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