Washington: On Thursday, Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden declined to publicly comment when asked if he had advised Israel against striking Iran’s oil facilities.
Why It Matters
Israel is currently considering its response to Tehran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this week. The U.S. has pledged to work with Israel to ensure Iran faces significant consequences for its actions.
Biden’s remarks earlier in the day contributed to a spike in global oil prices when he mentioned that Washington was discussing potential strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure. However, a U.S. official later clarified that Washington does not believe Israel has made a final decision on how to respond to Iran.
On Wednesday, Biden stated that the U.S. does not support an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Key Quotes
“I don’t negotiate in public,” Biden told reporters when asked if he was advising Israel not to target Iran’s oil facilities.
When questioned about concerns that an Israeli strike on Iran’s oil facilities could drive up oil prices, Biden responded, “If a hurricane hits, prices are going to go up. I don’t know; who knows.”
Biden was also asked why he had not spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days. He responded, “Because there’s no action going on right now.”
Context
Over the past year of cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli strikes have killed nearly 2,000 people in Lebanon, with most casualties occurring in the last two weeks. The fighting has displaced over 1.2 million people. This week, Israel launched a ground incursion into Lebanon, stating its goal is to defeat Hezbollah and allow approximately 60,000 evacuated Israelis in the north to return to their homes.
At the same time, Israel is engaged in a war in Gaza, where nearly 42,000 people have been killed, and nearly the entire population of 2.3 million has been displaced. This followed a deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas militants.
