Israel-Iran War: Biden-Netanyahu Call to Discuss Iranian Retaliation

Washington – U.S. President Joe Biden is set to hold a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, focusing on potential Israeli responses to Iran, according to an Axios report late Tuesday, citing three U.S. officials.

“We want to use the call to help set parameters around Israel’s response,” a U.S. official told Axios. Washington's aim is to ensure that Israel’s actions against Iran hit strategic targets without being excessive.

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The White House has yet to comment on the report.

Tensions have escalated in the Middle East following a recent missile strike by Iran, which Tehran launched in retaliation for Israel’s military activity in Lebanon. The attack did not cause casualties in Israel, and Washington labeled it ineffective.

Netanyahu has vowed that Iran will pay for its actions. Meanwhile, Tehran has warned that any further retaliation will lead to widespread destruction, raising concerns about a broader conflict in the oil-rich region that could draw in the United States.

Last Friday, Biden remarked that if he were in Israel’s position, he might consider alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields, noting that Israel had not yet finalized its response.

Israel has resisted calls from the U.S. and other allies for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, stating that its military operations will continue until its citizens are safe.

The Israeli government insists it is acting in self-defense after Hamas militants launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Other militant groups, such as Hezbollah, have also aligned with Hamas.

The U.S. has expressed its support for Israel’s efforts to target Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. However, Israel and Netanyahu have faced widespread condemnation for the high death toll in Gaza, where approximately 42,000 people have been killed according to the Palestinian health ministry, and over 2,000 in Lebanon.

Around three million people in Gaza and Lebanon have been displaced due to Israel’s military actions, according to local officials. Gaza is grappling with a humanitarian crisis, lacking basic resources such as food and clean water.