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Biden Says He Won't Back Israeli Strikes On Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Tyler Durden's Photo
by Tyler Durden
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Update(1759ET): Israel appears to be taking its time mulling or planning a response to Iran. Perhaps this is why?...

United States President Joe Biden has voiced opposition to any strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in response to Tehran’s missile attack on Israel.

When asked by reporters on Wednesday whether he would back such retaliation, Biden stated “the answer is no”.

All recent statements from Netanyahu and his top security leadership suggest some kind of major retaliation strike is imminent. An Israeli official speaking to local media as said "it is not certain that Washington will agree with us, but it knows that we have to respond."

The US administration is seeking 'alignment' with Israel before it launches a potential attack:

The White House is looking to align its perspectives on any potential response to the Iranian attack on Israel with counterparts in the Netanyahu administration. 

US deputy secretary Kurt Campbell described the current situation in the Middle East as "a moment of peril" and outlined the need for clear communication between America and Israel. 

"I think we recognize as important as a response of some kind should be, there is a recognition that the region is really on a knife's edge, and real concerns about an even broader escalation or a continuing one," said Mr Campbell.

Meanwhile, new Israeli strikes have rocked central Beirut in the night hours (local). Hezbollah is expected to potentially retaliate by sending missiles toward Tel Aviv:

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Update(1315ET): Is tonight the night of the expected big Israeli retaliation attack? Iran appears to be bracing for new aggression from Israel: Iran has just announced the closure of its airspace, and it has diverted all civilian flights.

There are reports the government has shut down Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport in anticipation of the potential Israeli retaliation: 

Iran announced that airports in the western half of the country, including Tehran and Mehrabad, are closed until Thursday except for emergency and certain other flights, according to aviation security specialist Osprey Flight Solutions via WSJ.

Speaking from Doha, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is not seeking war, but in the scenario that "Israel acts against us we will respond."

President Biden claims he's offering the Israeli's "advice"...

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to be in meetings with his security cabinet Wednesday to mull potential operations to last night's Iranian attack which saw some 181 ballistic missiles fired directly at Israel.

Israel's military claims most were intercepted, and that there was almost no damage or Israeli casualties, but the avalanche of available on-the-ground videos contradict these assertions. Israeli media has cited officials who say retaliation on Iran could include hitting targets like gas or oil rigs, and Iran's nuclear sites.

Fallen ballistic missile fired from Iran which landed in Israel, October 1, 2024. JPost via Maariv Online

"An attack on Iranian oil facilities could devastate the country’s economy, and any of the considered responses could mark another escalation, almost one year into the ongoing war that began when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel in October 2023," Times of Israel writes. 

A correspondent from the same publication has cited another official who says the response will aim to inflict "significant financial damage" and that Israeli leaders feel the strike "must be significant, and it must come soon."

The security cabinet spent much of Tuesday night in a secure bunker under Jerusalem. By the end of the meeting there was reportedly consensus that Israel's military would hit back.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first words in the wake of the attack were "Iran made a big mistake tonight, and it will pay for it" and included the vow, "whoever attacks us — we will attack them."

"The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies. They will understand. We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us, we will attack him," Netanyahu continued.

Netanyahu met with Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad director David Barnea, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday:

Via GPO/TOI

Axios also suggests in its reporting that a "massive payback" is coming:

Israeli officials staring down all-out regional war tell Axios Israel will launch a "significant retaliation" to Tuesday's massive missile attack within days that could target oil production facilities inside Iran and other strategic sites.

An Israeli official told the outlet, "We have a big question mark about how the Iranians are going to respond to an attack, but we take into consideration the possibility that they would go all in, which will be a whole different ball game."

People were celebrating the ballistic missile attacks inside Iran and Gaza. The size of it was unprecedented in history in terms of a single volley of heavy rockets sent directly on Israel.

Meanwhile, in south Lebanon Israeli ground troops are reportedly engaged in close-quarters combat with Hezbollah fighters. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the first troop death of its Operation Northern Arrows in Lebanon.

"The soldier is named as Cpt. Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, a team commander in the Egoz Commando Unit, from Modi’in," TOI writes. "Oster was killed during a battle with Hezbollah operatives in a village in southern Lebanon." 

Despite overnight scenes like the below, Israel on Wednesday claims its bases and infrastructure came out largely unscathed...

There have been unverified reports circulating of additional casualties suffered by the Israelis, and the situation is fast looking like the 2006 war, which had high casualties on both sides.

Al Jazeera writes of the heavy fighting, "Hezbollah has issued a statement saying its fighters detonated an explosive device that killed and wounded members of the Israeli army trying to circumvent the village of Yaroun in southern Lebanon." The Israeli Army did not put out an immediate statement confirming or denying.

Iranians preparing for the worst...

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