House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will not deliver a speech before the Knesset in Israel this weekend due to the war between the Jewish state and Iran.
In a statement, Johnson said he hopes to reschedule.
“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” he said Monday. “We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East.”
The trip, which Johnson announced last week, would have been one of his most significant and impactful trips since becoming speaker. The last speaker to address the Knesset was Republican Kevin McCarthy in May 2023.
The speech was postponed after Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Friday, which set off explosions in Tehran. Israel said it targeted Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, killing the country’s top military and nuclear scientists.
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The attack followed Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons capabilities, which Israel views as an existential threat. The United States and Iran were engaging in diplomatic talks to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but Israel’s attack canceled them.
Iran responded with over 100 ballistic missiles in a retaliatory attack, with at least 13 Israelis dead as of Sunday. Though the U.S. was not involved in the original Israel attack on Iran, it is assisting Israel in shooting down missiles coming from the Islamic state.