Israel – Axios reported that US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak today, Wednesday, about “the possible Israeli response to the Iranian attack,” in addition to discussing the war in Lebanon and Gaza.
The website, quoting the Israeli Prime Minister’s assistant, explained that Netanyahu wants to inform President Biden of the Israeli decision as soon as it is made.
An American official was also quoted as saying, “We want to use the Biden-Netanyahu call in an attempt to shape the limits of Israeli retaliation,” and to ensure that Israel attacks targets in Iran are important but not exaggerated, according to the official.
Axios added that Netanyahu met yesterday, Tuesday, with heads of military services to reach a decision on the scope of the Israeli attacks on Iran.
The Israeli response to Iran is expected to be significant and include air strikes on military targets and other covert attacks.
Netanyahu vowed that Iran would pay the price for its missile attack, while Tehran said that any retaliation would be met with “massive destruction,” raising fears of a broader war breaking out in the oil-producing region that the United States might be drawn into.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant was scheduled to travel to Washington yesterday to coordinate the Israeli operation in Iran, according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
But Netanyahu stipulated that he wait for his conversation with Biden, and for the political and security ministerial council (cabinet) to approve the Israeli operation against Iran, according to what Israeli Channel 12 reported.
At the beginning of this October, Iran launched an attack with more than 180 missiles on Israel, in response to its assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and its massacres in Lebanon and Gaza.
With absolute American support, Israel has been waging a “genocidal” war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, and last September 23, it expanded the scope of its war to include Lebanon, in light of confrontations with the Lebanese faction movement.
Source: Axios + Agencies
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Breaking News: A Critical Conversation in the Middle East
As I write, the world is watching the unfolding events in the Middle East with bated breath. The phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place on Wednesday, marks a crucial juncture in the increasingly complex dynamics between Israel, Iran, and the international community.
According to recent reports [[1]], the conversation between the two leaders was their first in months, and the White House revealed that it lasted for 30 minutes [[2]]. The primary focus of the call was on Iran’s recent missile attack and the possible Israeli response, as well as the ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.
A source close to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office revealed that Netanyahu aims to keep President Biden informed about Israel’s decisions as soon as they are made [[Axios, as reported in the query]]. This suggests that the phone call was not only a consultation but also a means for Netanyahu to maintain transparency and coordination with the US administration.
The American official’s comment on the call, as reported by the news source, further emphasizes the significance of the conversation. The official stated that the US wants to use the Biden-Netanyahu call as a means to facilitate cooperation and coordination on regional issues.
However, it’s worth noting that the conversation also centered around the Iranian attack, and Israel’s options and timing for a potential strike against Iran were presumably discussed [[3]]. This indicates that the situation in the Middle East remains volatile, and the world is holding its breath as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
As a seasoned observer of international politics, I must emphasize that this phone call represents a critical moment in the complex web of relationships between major powers in the Middle East. The conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the US to maintaining open communication channels with its allies, particularly in regions where security concerns are paramount.
Ultimately, this conversation between Biden and Netanyahu should be seen as a positive development, given the rapidly evolving nature of regional conflicts. While the call’s details remain confidential, the fact that the two leaders are actively engaging in dialogue suggests that there is still room for accommodation and cooperation in a region fraught with tensions.
Only time will tell how the dynamics between Israel, Iran, and the US will unfold in the coming days and weeks. However, as a commentator, I am cautiously optimistic that the Biden-Netanyahu phone call will mark the beginning of a more concerted effort to address the mounting challenges in the Middle East.
References:
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