U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday amid rising tensions with Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that any Israeli strike against Iran would be “lethal, precise, and surprising.”
This 30-minute call, the first between Biden and Netanyahu since August, came during escalating conflicts in the Middle East. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the conversation as “direct and very productive,” acknowledging their disagreements.
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The region is tense following Iran’s missile attack last week, which Tehran carried out in response to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon. Gallant, after the Biden-Netanyahu call, described Iran’s October 1 missile attack as a failure and warned that Israel’s retaliation would be deadly and unexpected.
Netanyahu vowed that Iran would pay for its attack, while Tehran threatened massive destruction if retaliated against, raising concerns of a broader conflict involving the U.S.
Relations between Biden and Netanyahu remain strained, particularly over Israel’s handling of the Gaza war and its conflict with Hezbollah. In Bob Woodward’s upcoming book “War,” Biden reportedly criticized Netanyahu’s lack of strategy, expressing frustration after Israeli strikes in Beirut and Iran.
Despite these tensions, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon called Wednesday’s call positive and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to retaliate, promising Iran’s regime would suffer.
Gallant postponed a planned visit to the Pentagon at Netanyahu’s request until after the prime minister’s call with Biden. Tensions between the U.S. and Israel have grown in recent weeks, with U.S. officials often caught off guard by Israeli actions, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and operations against Hezbollah communications in Lebanon.
Israel has been slow to share details of its plans for retaliation against Iran’s missile attack, a source familiar with the matter revealed.
