Washington: President Joe Biden said Israel should hold off from attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in retaliation for a missile barrage this week, as Group of Seven nations sought to tamp down a spiraling conflict that threatens to pull the US even deeper in.
Asked if he would support such a response, which some Israeli politicians have called for, Biden responded, "The answer is no." He said he was set to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the G-7 planned a statement in a bid to head off further escalation, while further sanctions will be imposed on Iran.
"All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they have to respond proportionally," Biden said.
The comments marked a fresh US attempt to rein in Israel, something it's frequently failed to achieve in almost a year of military conflict. Israel has defied calls from Washington for a cease-fire in Gaza, and on Wednesday pressed ahead with a ground incursion against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon despite pressure from the US to de-escalate on that front.
The likelihood of the conflict easing appeared even more out of reach as initial assessments came in from Iran's strike on Tuesday, in which it fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. Some of them got through and caused damage at Israeli military sites, though only one person was reported killed. In Lebanon, Israel said eight of its soldiers were killed in clashes with Hezbollah, the first casualties it's reported in an expanding ground incursion targeting the Iran-backed militia there.
Netanyahu's government "- along with other Israeli leaders "- has threatened reprisals against Iran. Yair Lapid, an Israeli opposition leader and former prime minister, said Iran must pay "a significant and heavy" price, while Naftali Bennett, one of Netanyahu's rivals, called for Israel to "destroy Iran's nuclear program, its central energy facilities."
Those calls highlighted how the dynamic has shifted since April, when Israel hit back at a smaller Iranian missile barrage with a limited strike on an air base that caused little damage. Other options included targeting the OPEC member's oil infrastructure or military bases. Potentially the most extreme scenario would be an attack on its nuclear facilities.
"The next issue is how Israel responds," said Wendy Sherman, who served as the State Department's No. 2 official until 2023. "If you're precise in your response, you can do exactly what you want to do and no more. But if something goes awry, you can escalate past the point that you wanted to escalate."
Brent crude rose for a second day Wednesday on the regional risks, though it's still down over the past month, suggesting traders do not believe there will be major supply disruptions in Iran or other parts of the oil-rich Gulf.
The Middle East's year of conflict began when Hamas, also backed by Iran, swarmed southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250. Israel's subsequent offensive on Gaza has killed 41,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Palestinian territory.
The US, which classifies Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist groups, has stepped up military and financial support for Israel since the conflict began. Biden administration officials have also spent months calling for restraint in the Israeli campaigns in Gaza and now Lebanon.
Fighting has already spread across the region, with Israel carrying out strikes on Yemen and suspected ones in Syria in recent days, as well as the bombardment of Lebanon and still-ongoing campaign in Gaza. In the past month, Israel has killed many of Hezbollah's senior leaders, including chief Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli air strikes on Lebanon have killed hundreds of civilians in the past two weeks, according to Lebanese officials.
Israel said Wednesday it was sending reinforcements into southern Lebanon and Israeli jets launched fresh air strikes on the Iran-backed group. Hezbollah fired repeated rocket salvos on Israeli towns and said it had destroyed three tanks while advancing on the town of Maroun Al Ras.
For its part, Iran warned of even greater consequences if Israeli attacks. One concern, analysts say, is if Iran and Hezbollah will look to dial up attacks on Israeli embassies or other targets overseas.
At the UN on Wednesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was time to stop a cycle of escalation "that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff."
