Biden and Netanyahu Hold ‘Productive’ Talks on Retaliation Against Iran

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had what the White House described as “productive” discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, focusing on Israel’s response to the recent missile attack by Iran.

The White House issued a statement saying, “This morning, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and Vice President Harris joined the call.” It was mentioned that a detailed readout of the conversation would be released later.

According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the 30-minute call was described as “direct,” “honest,” and “productive.” She added that the U.S. and Israeli governments had been in discussions since the missile attack by Iran last week, with those conversations continuing during the call between Biden and Netanyahu. Jean-Pierre noted that talks about Israel’s potential response would continue but declined to provide further specifics until the official readout of the call was published.

This call comes at a time of heightened tensions between Biden and Netanyahu and marked their first conversation since August 21, following a seven-week hiatus during which Israel also launched an offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

President Biden has previously urged Israel not to target Iran’s nuclear facilities or oil infrastructure, warning that such actions could spike oil prices just weeks before the U.S. presidential election.

A new book by journalist Bob Woodward highlights the growing friction between the two leaders, with Biden reportedly telling Netanyahu in July that Israel’s global image is increasingly viewed as “a rogue state, a rogue actor,” according to a report by The New York Times.