Posted on 10/14/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed the Biden administration that he is prepared to carry out a military strike targeting Iranian military facilities, rather than its oil or nuclear infrastructure, two officials with knowledge of the discussions told The Washington Post on Monday. This approach suggests a more restrained counterstrike aimed at preventing a broader war.
According to The Washington Post, during their phone call this past Wednesday — their first conversation in over seven weeks — Netanyahu informed Biden that he plans to target Iranian military infrastructure, according to a US official and another source familiar with the matter.
Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the White House commented on the report.
The Israeli counterstrike is expected to be calibrated to avoid appearing as political interference in the US election, the official said.
Netanyahu appeared "more moderated" during this conversation than he had been in previous discussions, according to the US official. This shift contributed to Biden’s decision to approve the deployment of a powerful missile defense system to Israel.
Following the call, Biden was more inclined to proceed with the missile defense system, the official added.
Axios reported following last week’s call that Biden and Netanyahu had inched closer to an agreement regarding Israel's planned retaliation against Iran.
Biden has stated or hinted at his opposition to Israel striking Iran's nuclear facilities or fields. The day after Iran's attack, Biden stated, “The answer is no," in response to a reporter's question about whether he would support an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites. He added that while Israel has the right to respond to the attack, it should do so “proportionally” without elaborating on what that means.
At another press briefing, the President said, "If I were in their shoes, I'd be thinking about other alternatives than striking oilfields."