Biden to Discuss Israel’s Iran Strike with Netanyahu

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to have an important phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday morning regarding Israel’s planned strikes on Iran, as reported by three U.S. officials to Axios.

This call would be their first conversation in two months of tension and comes as Israel considers significant military action that could escalate the conflict in the region.

On Tuesday night, Netanyahu met for several hours with senior ministers and heads of Israel’s military and intelligence agencies to decide on the timing and scale of Israel’s planned response, according to two Israeli officials. The retaliation is expected to be significant, potentially involving airstrikes on military sites in Iran and covert operations, like the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Israel is also considering targeting Iran’s oil infrastructure, a move Biden has signaled he would oppose.

An aide to Netanyahu informed Axios that, once a decision is made, Netanyahu would want to brief Biden. A U.S. official stated that Washington aims to “use the call to try and shape the limitations of the Israeli retaliation.” The U.S. wants Israel to target significant sites without excessive force.

The Biden-Netanyahu call is expected one week after Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. While most were intercepted, some caused minor damage to Israeli air bases, and a few landed near Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv without causing any damage.

The Iranian attack was in response to Israeli assassinations of key Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian officials. Tehran claimed it would not escalate further unless Israel attacked Iran again, while Israel vowed retaliation.

U.S. and Israeli officials believe this cycle of retaliation will continue, with both countries coordinating closely to counter Iranian responses.

Last Friday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, that the U.S. expects “clarity and transparency” from Israel about its plans, given their implications for U.S. forces and interests in the region.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was planning to travel to Washington on Tuesday, but the trip was blocked by Netanyahu, who insisted Gallant wait until Biden’s call and approval from Israel’s security cabinet for the attack plans.

The upcoming call between Biden and Netanyahu was already arranged before the disagreement between Netanyahu and Gallant. According to U.S. officials, Biden and Netanyahu are also expected to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.