President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on Wednesday to maintain “close contact” as Israel considers its response to Iran following last week’s largely ineffective missile attack from Tehran. The U.S. president also encouraged the Israeli prime minister to “minimize” civilian casualties in Lebanon, according to the White House. This call marked the first between Biden and Netanyahu in nearly two months, as the Middle East prepares for Israel’s potential retaliation and amid rising tensions over Israel’s intensified conflict with Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
The 30-minute call was billed as a direct dialogue between the two leaders. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called it “very productive” but acknowledged that the leaders have differences and are open about them.
US officials say they don’t want to see Israel attack Iran, but the administration has no power to stop the Israeli military from acting if it decides to do so. They are trying to limit the scale of any Israeli attack and to persuade Israeli hawks that a strike on Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities could escalate into a wider regional war.
Keeping the Biden administration in the loop as Israel weighs its options was critical, and it may have averted a more significant conflict. US officials have been deeply frustrated that Israel has brushed off their warnings and recommendations and that Netanyahu appears bent on taking matters into his own hands.
Israeli hawks, including the security cabinet’s chief of staff and defense minister, have been pushing for a massive strike on Iran to maintain deterrence and send a message that it can “take on” Iran alone. Moderates, including members of Netanyahu’s party and the administration, argue that Israel should act cautiously to avoid a broader regional war.
In their conversation, the US and Israeli leaders also discussed Israel’s continuing offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House said Biden “reaffirmed” Israel’s right to defend itself against the Lebanese militant group while also urging Israel to take care to minimize damage to Hezbollah targets in densely-populated areas of Beirut.
The White House said Biden and Netanyahu also remained committed to “a comprehensive diplomatic arrangement” that would allow Lebanese and Israeli civilians to return to their homes on both sides of the border, the official readout added. The US and Israel will continue to work together to ensure that Lebanon’s main airport stays open so American citizens still in the country can leave by air, it said. The US and its allies have blocked Iranian flights from Lebanon’s only functioning commercial airport, preventing them from reaching their destinations. Israel has vowed to bomb Iran’s oil facilities in any attack on Hezbollah, which the White House warns could trigger major Iranian retaliation that would devastate the region. Israel has also threatened to target Hezbollah’s rocket batteries in southern Lebanon but is not pursuing those targets at this time.
