Israel is currently weighing concerns raised by the Biden administration over its planned counter-strike on Iran, following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might avoid targeting Iran’s nuclear and energy facilities to prevent further escalation. However, despite these concerns, Israel has maintained its stance that it will act in accordance with its own national interests, especially after enduring more than a year of attacks from Iranian proxy groups and two direct long-range missile assaults from Tehran.
“We consider the opinions of the United States, but our final decisions will be based on our national interests,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Tuesday.
According to a report in the Washington Post, Netanyahu has agreed to limit any retaliation for an October 1st Iranian missile strike to military targets, citing sources familiar with the situation.
This potential military response has heightened tensions across the Middle East and further strained the relationship between Israel and US President Joe Biden. Biden has unsuccessfully tried to broker peace in Israel’s ongoing conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon—two groups labeled as terrorist organizations by the US. An escalation could engulf the region in a broader conflict, potentially impacting the US presidential elections on November 5.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while also intensifying airstrikes within the country. In Lebanon on Monday, 21 people were killed in a bombing in a Christian-majority area far from Hezbollah-controlled regions. Israel confirmed its strike on Hezbollah but is still assessing reports of civilian casualties.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has continued its attacks, with sirens in Israel’s Haifa region sending hundreds of thousands into shelters on Tuesday after projectiles from Lebanon were intercepted by Israeli defense systems.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also remain active in Gaza, staging further incursions to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping. A recent strike near a hospital claimed the lives of four people, the Palestinian health ministry reported, while Israel asserted that the attack targeted a Hamas command center.
Amid the escalating conflict, Iran’s foreign minister has toured several regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Oman, calling for a unified stance on the crisis. Iranian officials have repeatedly urged Gulf Arab states to sever ties with Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza.
