Biden urges restraint as Israel vows response to Iranian missile attack

Shafaq News/ US President Joe Biden stated, on Thursday, that “nothing will happen” today regarding Israel’s response to Iran, following Tuesday's Iranian ballistic missile strike on Israel.

Biden expressed opposition to any Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites as retaliation.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Biden announced that additional sanctions would be imposed on Iran and that he planned to speak soon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel has vowed to respond to the Iranian missile attack, with Netanyahu calling it a “grave mistake.” Israeli officials told Axios on Wednesday that the country is preparing a “strong response” that may include strikes on Iranian oil facilities and other strategic targets, potentially within days.

The officials also warned of a broader regional conflict, as Iran has threatened further strikes if Israel retaliates.

Tehran framed its missile attack as retaliation for the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut.

If Iran carries out further attacks in response to Israeli retaliation, Israeli officials told Axios that “all options would be on the table,” including strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged a decisive strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure following Tuesday’s attack. “We must act now to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and cripple this terrorist regime once and for all,” Bennett stated on X on Wednesday.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed similar sentiments, calling for Iran to “pay a heavy and significant price.” In a separate statement, Lapid warned that “Israel is coming, and the response must be strong enough to send a clear message to the axis of terror in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran itself.”

Tensions between Israel and Iran have been escalating, with Iran being accused of pursuing nuclear weapons—a charge it denies, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel, known to possess nuclear weapons though it has never officially confirmed this, has long been at odds with Iran over its regional ambitions and nuclear capabilities.

Tuesday’s missile strike marked the second direct Iranian attack on Israel this year, following an April strike that was in response to an Israeli raid on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.