Biden Urges Israel to Hold Back from Attacking Iran, G7 Seeks to Contain Escalation
Amidst a spiraling conflict in the Middle East, President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning to Israel, urging the country to refrain from attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in retaliation for a recent missile barrage, Bloomberg reports.
Following Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Tuesday, which targeted Israeli military sites and resulted in one fatality, several Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have called for aggressive reprisals against Iran, including targeting its nuclear program. However, Biden has firmly stated that the US will not support such actions.
“The answer is no,” Biden said, when asked if he would support an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “They have a right to respond, but they have to respond proportionally,” he added.
The G7 nations have also expressed concern over the escalating conflict and are set to issue a joint statement aiming to de-escalate the situation. Further sanctions against Iran are also being considered.
However, the chances of de-escalation appear slim as Israel continues its ground incursion in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, defying repeated calls for restraint from the US.
The conflict, which escalated last October with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel from Gaza, has already resulted in thousands of casualties in Gaza and hundreds in Lebanon. The US, which classifies both Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, has provided Israel with substantial military and financial support. Despite this, the Biden administration has consistently urged restraint in the Israeli campaigns.
The current situation is further complicated by the fact that the conflict has spread beyond Gaza and Lebanon, with Israel carrying out strikes in Yemen and Syria.
