Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said it will take American “opinions” into account, but that Israel will make its own decision on attacking Iran.
Israel will consider the “views” of the United States but will ultimately act against an Iranian missile attack based on its own “national interests,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
Iran launched around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for attacks that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan, as well as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year.
“We listen to the views of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” Netanyahu’s office said Tuesday.
The statement followed reports citing unnamed U.S. officials that Netanyahu had told the White House that any counterattack would be limited to military sites, not nuclear or energy facilities, suggesting a more limited attack aimed at preventing a large-scale war.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed U.S. officials, said the assurance was given during a call last week between Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as in conversations between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.
The plan “met with some relief in Washington,” the Washington Post reported.
More than a year after the start of the war in Gaza, Israel has intensified its offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory, which has left more than 42,000 dead, while expanding its offensive in Lebanon.
Biden has said he would not support an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, which could trigger further escalation and draw the United States into the conflict.
The Pentagon recently announced that the United States is sending an advanced anti-missile system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to Israel, as the Biden administration continues to provide “ironclad” support for one of its main allies in a context of growing tensions with Iran.
Israel vowed to retaliate for the Iranian missile attack, with Gallant saying the response would be “deadly, precise and surprising.”
Oil markets are worried about the prospect of an Israeli strike on Iranian oil fields, as such an attack could drive up global energy prices.
Gulf states have pressured the United States to prevent Israel from attacking Iranian oil sites, fearing that their oil facilities could come under fire from Tehran’s proxies if the conflict escalates .
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