ARAB AND WORLD
Fri 11 Oct 2024 4:35 pm - Jerusalem Time
Biden, Netanyahu near agreement on attacking Iran
US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came close to an understanding on Israel's plans to attack Iran during their phone call on Wednesday, Axios reported on Thursday.
The report, which cited US and Israeli officials, said the US has accepted that Israel will soon launch a major attack on Iran and is only concerned that hitting certain types of targets could escalate matters significantly. However, Iran has vowed to respond to any type of Israeli attack, and the situation could easily escalate into a full-blown war involving the US.
An Israeli official told Axios that Israel’s plans are still more aggressive than the United States would like. The United States has been wary of hitting nuclear facilities or oil infrastructure, and recent media reports have suggested that Israel is more likely to target military infrastructure.
Netanyahu convened his security cabinet on Thursday to update them on the situation with the United States and is expected to get approval from him and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to set a timetable for an Israeli attack. The Times of Israel reported that the United States and Israel will continue talks on the plans in the coming days, suggesting that an attack is not imminent.
NBC News reported Tuesday that the United States was considering supporting Israel's attack with direct airstrikes of its own, although U.S. officials said intelligence support was more likely.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the US was offering Israel a “compensation package” of military aid and full diplomatic support if it only struck US-approved targets in Iran. The US also committed to defending Israel from any Iranian retaliation.
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Biden, Netanyahu near agreement on attacking Iran