Biden warns IRAN to ‘be careful’ as he mentions Tehran regime for the first time since Hamas horror attack unfolded in Israel

President Joe Biden issued his first blunt public warning to Iran since the Hamas attack on Israel – after avoiding specific mention of the regime despite what the administration calls its longstanding support for Hamas.

We’ve ‘made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful,’ Biden said at a meeting with Jewish leaders at the White House Wednesday.

He made the comment while once again stating that the U.S. would back Israel, detailing elements of a new arms shipment that includes interceptors for its Iron Dome defense as well as ammunition for the Israel Defense Force.

It came after an emotional speech on Tuesday where he did not specifically mention Iran, but instead issued a generalized warning to states as well as non-state actors not to try to exploit the situation in the region.

Israel has been bombing Gaza following the horrific attack by Hamas forces, with troops gathering on the border with Gaza for what could be a ground invasion.

Biden told Jewish leaders it would be ‘bizarre’ for him to detail what the U.S. was doing to free hostages in Gaza, but assured them his team was working on it around the clock. He appeared alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who pounded a lectern as he spoke about the tragedy.

‘We witnessed a mass murder of innocent civilians,’ said Emhoff, who is Jewish and who has headed an effort on anti-Semitism.

‘It was a terrorist assault,’ he said, describing images ‘seared in our brains forever’ about people being ‘dragged from their homes and shot dead.’

Biden also expressed hope that whatever might be planned could be fruitful, despite years of escalating violence. ‘I think there is a chance to end this in a way that makes it very difficult to be repeated,’ he said.

‘I know we can overcome this,’ Biden said, before voicing optimism about a region that has bedeviled many of his predecessors.

‘I think we can change the Middle East,’ he said.

The administration has struggled to balance its approach to Iran since the October 7 attack, which included brutal murders of Israeli residents and civilians.

Top officials have cited Iran’s longstanding support for Hamas, even intelligence has not established ‘direct evidence’ linking Iran to Saturday’s attack, as White House national security spokesman John Kirby put it Wednesday. 

He bristled at a question he said ‘implies that we’re just not waking up to the fact that they’ve been supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and other terrorist networks.’

He said the administration had sanctioned 400-plus entities in the country.

‘Nobody has turned a blind eye to Iranian destabilizing behavior,’ said Kirby.

He said Hamas wouldn’t haver ‘been able to function at all had it not been for propping up by the Iranian regime, but we haven’t seen any specific evidence that tells us they were witting, involved in the planning, or involved in the resourcing and the training that went into this very complex’ attack.

The administration has been facing new pressure from Democratic senators to freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets that were unlocked as part of a deal to free five Americans held captive there last month. 

Officials have said no money has yet gone out of the accounts, which are restricted for ‘humanitarian’ purposes. 

Biden also defended the virtual blackout on his administration’s efforts to free American hostages, after Kirby confirmed that less than a handful were among the 17 Americans believed missing. 

‘The press is going to shout to me and many of you are, “What are you doing to get these folks home?” If I told you I wouldn’t be able to get them home. Folks there’s a lot we’re doing – a lot we’re doing. I have not given up hope of bringing these folks home. But the idea that I’m going to stand here before you and tell you what I’m doing is bizarre. So I hope you understand how bizarre I think it would be to try to answer that question.