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Israel considers response to Tehran, Biden: There are alternatives besides oil reserves

2024-10-05 18:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel considers response to Tehran, Biden: There are alternatives besides oil

In a rare appearance in the White House briefing room, President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel has not yet decided how it will respond to Tehran's missile attacks, and as VOA correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports urged the Israeli prime minister to consider targets other than Iranian oil reserves.

Israel expanded its airstrikes in Lebanon, hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Israel announced on Saturday that it had killed two Hamas members, one in an airstrike and the other in an overnight operation.

The Israeli military struck a Palestinian refugee camp deep in northern Lebanon for the first time, and the Palestinian militant group said the attack near the northern city of Tripoli early Saturday morning killed a Hamas military wing official, along with his wife and two daughters. his small. The Israeli military also said special forces were carrying out ground attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Israel is also considering options for retaliating against Iran for Tehran's 180-missile attack earlier this week, debating whether to attack Iranian oil reserves.

"The Israelis have not yet made a decision on what they will do, how they will react after the attack. It is under discussion. I think if I were in their place, I would think of other alternatives."

That was President Biden's statement in an unannounced appearance at the White House on Friday, his first in nearly four years in office.

Biden said earlier this week that he does not support an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Analysts believe Iran's oil industry is under sanctions and an attack on its facilities would have little impact on global supply. But Tehran's retaliation, according to them, could be devastating.

"If Iran then retaliated by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, it would affect not only Iranian oil exports, but also the oil exports of many Gulf countries, Gulf Arab countries, so it could be catastrophic for world energy supplies," says Ellen Laipson, of George Mason University.

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas last year that sparked Israel's war against the militant group in Gaza, President Biden has been fighting to stop the conflict. It has now spread not only to Lebanon, but also to the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not listened to Mr. Biden's calls for a cease-fire in Gaza or Lebanon. Ending the war is a key issue for Americans ahead of their November presidential election.

"No administration has helped Israel more than I have, none. And I think Netanyahu should remember that. I don't know if he's trying to influence the American election, I don't know, but I'm not counting on that," President Biden said.

In a show of support for the Hezbollah militant group, Iran's top diplomat issued a warning.

"If Israel takes any step or measure against us, our revenge will be stronger than the previous one," he said.

Meanwhile, to stop further escalation, the US military on Friday struck military facilities in Yemen of the Houthi militia group, another Iran-backed group that has recently attacked transport ships in the Red Sea./ VOA