Biden prevents Netanyahu from airstrike on Iran, Maariv reports
Shafaq News/ As fears grow of a wider war in the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel, US President Joe Biden intervened to prevent the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu from launching an imminent airstrike on Tehran.
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Biden successfully dissuaded Netanyahu from proceeding with the attack, instructing the return of aircraft that were en route to carry out operations within Iranian territories.
John Kirby, the National Security Council Spokesman pointed out that Biden “doesn’t believe” that Iran attack “needs”to escalate into wider war.
Kirby says the “U.S. would take serious measures against Iran if American troops were threatened in the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel.”
Earlier, a senior White House official told Axios that US President told Israeli Prime Minister during a call on Saturday that the US will not support any Israeli counterattack against Iran.
According to Axios sources, the official said that when Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran and would not support such operations, Netanyahu said he understood.
On the other hand, a senior White House official stated that "Biden clarified to Netanyahu that Washington would not participate in any military operations against Iran," according to CNN.
These statements aligned with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's remarks after the Iranian attack on Israel, stating that "Washington is not seeking a conflict with Tehran."
Moreover, NBC News reported that senior officials in the Biden administration, along with senior defense officials, have voiced concerns about potential swift actions by Israel in response to the Iranian attack.
According to three informed sources cited by NBC News, President Biden has privately expressed concerns that Prime Minister Netanyahu might seek to draw the United States into a broader conflict.
On the other hand, the Iranian Army Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri, announced on Sunday that Iran's response would escalate if Israel attempted to retaliate against the previous night's assaults.
"Our retaliation will be far-reaching if Israel chooses to respond to last night's attacks," he stated.
"We have sent a clear message to Washington through the Swiss embassy," Bagheri disclosed, "any cooperation between the United States and Israel in potential future actions would jeopardize the security of American bases, leading to reciprocal measures from Iran."
