US President Joe Biden has said he doesn’t support potential retaliatory strikes by Israel on Iranian nuclear facilities. When reporters asked Biden Wednesday (Oct 2) whether he would support such an action, the US leader said, “The answer is no”. However, he added that the Jewish nation had a right to respond to the Oct 1 Iranian missile attack and it should be done proportionally.
He added that US would soon be rolling out new sanctions against Iran for the barrage.
This comes after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that Iran will face “severe consequences” for the attacks and that Washington DC and Tel Aviv would co-operate to decide the intensity of such retaliation.
Media reports on Wednesday hinted that Israel was mulling targeting Iranian strategic infrastructure, such as gas and oil rigs, or Iran’s nuclear sites. Axios reported that the government of PM Benjamin Netanyahu was also considering targeted assassinations and attacks on Iran’s air defence systems.
Such an attack on Iran would not only jeopardise the Iranian economy but also risk expanding the war further. Israel PM’s office later said Netanyahu had convened a meeting with Israel’s security chiefs at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu said after the attack, “Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it,” vowing, “whoever attacks us — we will attack them.”
A readout released by the White House on Wednesday said that President Joe Biden joined a call with the G7 leaders to discuss Iran’s unacceptable attack against Israel and to coordinate on a response to this attack, including new sanctions.
President Biden and the G7 unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack against Israel. He expressed the United States’ full solidarity and support to Israel and its people, and reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, it added.
Iran not looking for war
Amid reports of imminent Israeli retaliatory strikes on Iran, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a cautious note Wednesday and said his nation was not seeking a war.
Pezeshkian, however, added that his nation would respond strongly if such an attack takes place.
Pezeshkian made the remarks following his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during his official two-day visit, which aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
(With inputs from agencies)
