U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, Israeli officials said, for talks expected to include a discussion of Israeli plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.
U.S. President Joe Biden, The White House/Handout via Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, Israeli officials said, for talks expected to include a discussion of Israeli plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.
The call, under way late Wednesday morning U.S. time, was the leaders' first known chat since August and coincided with a sharp escalation of Israel's conflict with both Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah with no sign of an imminent ceasefire deal to end the conflict with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza.
The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's response to a missile attack last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel's military escalation in Lebanon. The Iranian attack ultimately killed no one in Israel and Washington called it ineffective.
Netanyahu has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region which could draw in the United States.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Maayan Lubell
As world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh for a "Peace Summit" aiming to declare an end to the Gaza war, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a landmark statement: negotiations with Israel are necessary as part of a broader effort to resolve regional crises.
Iran has announced it is no longer bound by the restrictions of the 2015 nuclear agreement, marking the formal expiration of the deal on October 18, 2025. The accord, signed with six world powers, aimed to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of UN sanctions.
Lebanese MP Marwan Hamadé issued a statement on Saturday clarifying the circumstances surrounding the broadcast of his interview by the Israeli French-language news channel i24 News.
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