New Orleans-based photographer Bonnie Cash captured a photo of President Joe Biden holding a secret note while addressing the press for the first time since Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel, alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’a Al-Sudani at the Oval Office on Monday.
The partial photo of the note taken by Cash showed that there was specific instruction for the 81-year-old on when to pause and what to say at the press conference. According to a New York Post report, Biden looked at the note time to time while addressing the media at the Oval Office.
Al Sudani, who also addressed the media after Biden, did not rely on any notes or prompts and gave a brief set on remarks on the relations between the United States and Iraq.
“As you know, Iran launched an unprecedented aerial attack against Israel, and we mounted an unprecedented military effort to defend Israel,” President Biden said. “Together with our partners, we defeated that attack.”
The POTUS said that while the US is committed to defend Israel against any attack, it is also working “for a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent any conflict from spreading beyond what it already has.”
“We’re also committed to the security of our personnel and partners in the region, including Iraq. The partnership between Iraq and the United States is critical,” he added.
Al Sudani, on the other hand, refrained from making any specific reference to the conflict in the Middle East. Instead, he focused primarily on the relations between Iraq and the US.