Amid media speculation, Israeli officials told The New York Times that Tel Aviv is not planning to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. However, they added that Israel sees Iran’s efforts to create a nuclear weapons program as an existential threat. This comes as US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he would not support an attack on Iranian nuclear sites and is working to contain a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Biden's comments came days after the top Israeli diplomat at the United Nations warned his country's retaliation for an Iranian salvo of nearly 200 ballistic missiles would be heavier than Tehran 'could ever have imagined'. Chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, further warned: “We have the capabilities to reach and strike any point in the Middle East.”
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An Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites can spark fears of a region-wide war. Tehran's nuclear capabilities are currently not fully known. Officials, however, deny it has a nuclear weapon.
While the Biden administration has been clear about its support for an Israeli military response against Iran, Biden said he doesn't want to escalate the situation. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that Washington wants to make sure that the situation from 'isolated salvoes to sustained hostilities that will imperil not only Israel's but our strategic interests as well'.
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Joe Biden on Tuesday held a call with leaders of Italy, France, the U.K., Germany, Canada, Japan and the EU to discuss the Iranian attack against Israel, the White House said.
"We will be discussing with the Israelis what they are going to do. All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond but they should respond in proportion … we are giving them advice. I will talk to Bibi relatively soon," Biden told reporters on Wednesday. He was referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.