Israel’s preparations for its response to Iran after its missile attack on October 1 appear to be entering the final stretch.
According to the Washington Post, Benjamin Netanyahu told Joe Biden that Israel’s retaliation would not include strikes on civilian sites, seeking to reassure the White House occupant that Tel Aviv would avoid interfering in the US election.
According to the report, it was this assurance that “unlocked” Biden’s decision to send Israel the THAAD anti-missile system to become the 4th pillar of Israel’s air defense.
This followed reports that Israel was considering attacks on Iranian oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities, options to which the US was opposed out of concern for an escalation of conflict.
According to an official cited by the Washington Post, Israel’s retaliation would be designed to avoid “political interference in the US election.”
Any attack on oil infrastructure could lead to higher energy prices, while a strike on a nuclear facility could widen the fighting and trigger US involvement. Such a development could be expressed at the ballot box at the expense of Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
American voters who would not be satisfied with either outcome could express their displeasure at the ballot box, hurting Democratic US Vice President Kamala Harris and helping Republican Donald Trump.
Gulf states have also pressed Washington to prevent Israel from attacking Iran’s oil facilities because they are concerned that their oil facilities could come under fire from Tehran’s “satellites” if the conflict escalates.
However, a statement was issued by Netanyahu’s office saying that Israel’s security needs would trump any other calculation.
“We are listening to the thoughts of the US government, but we will make our final decisions based on Israel’s national security needs,” Israel’s prime minister’s office said.
In this context, an official quoted by Axios after the Biden-Netanyahu phone call said that Israel’s planned response is still more aggressive than the US would prefer.
