US would not support Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, says Biden

Joe Biden stated that he would not back any Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. This comes as the U.S. aims to moderate Israel’s reaction to the missile attack from Iran on Tuesday and to manage a quickly intensifying conflict in the region.

Biden made his remarks following a warning from Israel's leading diplomat at the United Nations. He indicated that Israel's response to an attack from Iran, which launched almost 200 ballistic missiles, would be much more severe than anything Iran might expect.

On the same day, Israel's chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, issued a warning, stating, "We possess the ability to target and hit any location in the Middle East," and added that Israel's adversaries would "realize this very soon."

On Wednesday afternoon, Benjamin Netanyahu gathered his senior security team at the Kirya, Israel's defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, to explore the country's strategies following a series of discussions with Washington.

While Israel was considering the possibility of engaging in a fourth conflict with its neighboring adversaries, it was confirmed that eight Israeli soldiers lost their lives and many others were injured during three confrontations with Hezbollah. This came in the wake of Israel's first major ground operations beyond the Lebanese border since 2006.

Late Wednesday night, loud explosions echoed through southern and central Beirut once more. Lebanese officials reported that in the last 24 hours, Israeli strikes on the city had resulted in 46 fatalities and 85 injuries.

A different attack in the Syrian capital, Damascus, allegedly took the life of Hassan Nasrallah's son-in-law. Nasrallah was the Hezbollah leader who passed away last week due to a significant Israeli strike in Beirut.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is located in the UK, Hassan Jaafar Qasir was one of three individuals who lost their lives due to an assault that collapsed a structure in the Mazzeh neighborhood. This area is known to be a stronghold for Hezbollah fighters and members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In Washington, there is a widespread belief that Israel will respond militarily to Iran's missile launches, and this response is likely to be more extensive than the previous Israeli airstrikes. Earlier this year, Israel targeted an air defense facility near Isfahan following an Iranian aerial assault in April.

The Biden administration is concerned that a strong reaction from Israel, especially if it involves attacking Iran's nuclear sites, might escalate tensions to a point where U.S. troops could get involved. This situation could also push Iran to pursue nuclear weapons development.

On Tuesday, nearly all of the Iranian missiles launched were successfully intercepted by Israel’s multi-tiered air defense system. The only reported casualty was a Palestinian who died from debris in the West Bank. However, some of the missiles did hit or land close to Israeli airbases at Nevatim and Tel Nof, causing damage to office buildings and maintenance facilities, but thankfully not to any aircraft or personnel.

Washington sounded the alarm just a few hours before Iran's missile launch on Tuesday night. Since then, US officials have been engaged in urgent discussions with their Israeli counterparts about how Israel should respond.

Following nuclear facilities, Israel is said to be contemplating a large-scale strike on Iran's oil facilities, along with airstrikes on military bases and targeted assassinations, a tactic Israel has frequently employed in the region. At the same time, the United States is believed to be proposing additional economic sanctions on this already heavily sanctioned nation, aiming to support Israel’s military response.

The Israeli military announced that the operations they initiated on Tuesday in Lebanon primarily focused on targeting tunnels and other facilities belonging to Hezbollah near the border. On Wednesday, they increased their troop presence in the northern region and advised residents in over 20 border towns to evacuate. They instructed these residents to relocate to areas beyond the Awali River, which is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) inside Lebanon, indicating that additional ground actions are likely forthcoming.

On Wednesday, the majority of Israeli fatalities were reported from a commando unit that was engaged in a clash with the Shia militia right across the border from the Israeli village of Misgav. Additionally, two soldiers from the Golani Brigade lost their lives in a different event in the Maroun-el-Ras area in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah announced that its members injured and killed several Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon by setting off an explosive device. They also stated that they had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks using guided missiles in the border town of Maroun el-Ras. The Guardian reported that it could not confirm the details of these events.

Almost a year after the conflict began, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to engage with Hamas in Gaza. They regularly carry out operations against militants in the West Bank. Over the last two weeks, they've escalated their actions against Hezbollah, executing precision strikes, launching significant air attacks throughout Lebanon, and, on Tuesday, sending ground troops across the border.

The main goal of the military action in Lebanon is to establish a safe environment for more than 60,000 Israeli residents who have been forced to leave their homes due to Hezbollah's assaults over the last year. However, the recent airstrike that killed Nasrallah led to a missile retaliation from Iran on Tuesday, as it was a response to the loss of Tehran's strongest ally in the area.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council came together to address the escalating conflict. Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that “time is running out” and urged an end to the “deadly cycle of retaliatory violence.”

Iran defended its actions by claiming they were an act of self-defense. In a letter to the Security Council, the country stated that it had strictly followed international humanitarian law’s principle of distinction and had exclusively aimed its missile strikes at military and security facilities of the opposing regime.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, dismissed that assertion, characterizing Iran's missile strike as "a deliberate assault on innocent civilians."

"Israel will take action," Danon stated to the press. "Our response will be firm and, yes, it may be difficult, but unlike Iran, we will operate fully within the bounds of international law."

He later mentioned that the situation would be even worse than the Iranians could have possibly envisioned.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged the Security Council to take strong action against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in response to the attack that occurred on Tuesday.

Thomas-Greenfield stated that the Iranian government will be accountable for its behavior. She also issued a stern warning to Iran and its allies, advising them not to engage in any actions targeting the United States or to escalate their actions against Israel.

The escalating crisis arrives at a tense time for Joe Biden, with just under five weeks to go before an election in which he aims to transfer control of the White House to his vice president, Kamala Harris.

He strongly backs Israel while aiming to prevent the US from getting directly involved in a conflict with Iran. He understands that Israel views Iran's nuclear program as a serious threat to its existence, but realizes that it can't effectively counter that threat on its own through military means.

"Many believe that throughout his time in office, Netanyahu has aimed to involve the US in a direct military conflict with Iran, and according to Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project policy institute, that goal seems to be more achievable now than it has ever been."

Ali Vaez, who leads the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, stated that the notable achievements of Israel in military and intelligence operations recently have prompted some members of the Biden administration—who had previously advocated for a more cautious approach—to rethink their strategy. Now, they are considering more aggressive options to further diminish Iran and its regional allies, or even to possibly target Iran's nuclear program.

Vaez cautioned that, "Regardless of whether the US plays a role or not, an attack like this would be the tipping point for Iran's political leadership in their pursuit of a powerful deterrent."