Iran, meanwhile, has stated that it will not let any Israeli attack go unanswered.
Washington: Israel will consider the views of the United States, but will ultimately make decisions based on its own national interests, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” Netanyahu’s office said this week.
The statement came in response to a Washington Post report, which claimed that Netanyahu had told the US he was prepared to target military sites in Iran, rather than nuclear or oil infrastructure. Citing two officials, the report stated that Netanyahu made the comments during a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden recently, in which they discussed Israel’s planned retaliation. Any response to Iran would avoid any perception of "political interference in the US elections," the report added.
On October 1, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for attacks that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year. At the time of the attack, Netanyahu had warned Iran that it had made a “big mistake” and would “pay for it.”
According to an anonymous source quoted by the Washington Post, Israel’s retaliatory strike would be designed to avoid the appearance of “political interference” in the upcoming US presidential election. Iran, meanwhile, has stated that it will not let any Israeli attack go unanswered.
Mideast war: Top developments>> The US is set to deploy its high-altitude anti-missile system, THAAD, in Israel, which will be operated by nearly 100 US troops. >> At least 21 people were killed in an Israeli air attack this week that hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. The UN human rights office said most of the victims were women and children. >> The US has warned Israel that it must take steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on military aid >> French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah as well as an end to arms exports used in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Israel has opposed the move. >> Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah’s deputy chief, vowed that they are focused on “hurting the enemy” by targeting Haifa and other parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv. >> UN refugee agency says 25 per cent of Lebanon is under Israeli evacuation orders. |
