United States President Joe Biden has advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from targeting Iran’s oil fields in retaliation for Tehran’s recent missile assault on Israel, as reported by Bloomberg on Saturday.
“The Israelis have not yet made a decision regarding a potential strike,” Biden stated to reporters at the White House on Friday. “If I were in their position, I would consider alternatives beyond attacking oil fields.” Additionally, Biden has cautioned Israel against launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, Iran fired a minimum of 180 missiles into Israel, escalating concerns of a full-scale conflict in the region. This action was in response to the deaths of high-ranking members of the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps due to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
Hamas and Hezbollah receive support from Iran.
Reports indicate that Tel Aviv is weighing the option of targeting Iranian oil rigs and nuclear installations.
An Israeli strike on significant oil infrastructure in Iran would heighten geopolitical tensions and disrupt energy markets, particularly impacting supply chains to China, as noted by Bloomberg.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, criticized Biden’s remarks, expressing his support for an attack specifically aimed at Iranian nuclear sites. “I believe he made an error,” Trump stated. “The priority should have been to strike the nuclear facilities first; we can address the other issues later.”
Israel escalated its bombardment of Lebanon on Saturday, targeting a Palestinian refugee camp, as reported by AP. The assault on the Beddawi camp resulted in the deaths of a Hamas military official, his spouse, and their two daughters. Additionally, another Hamas member was killed in strikes within Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
Explosions were reported in the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut on Saturday night, following Israel’s call for residents to evacuate.
The Israeli military stated that its operations were aimed at Hezbollah and Hamas fighters. It also asserted that around 30 projectiles launched from Lebanon had entered Israeli territory on Saturday, with some being intercepted.
Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah declared that it had successfully targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Manara settlement in northern Israel using a significant rocket barrage, achieving accurate hits.
In less than two weeks, at least 1,400 Lebanese individuals, including civilians, medical personnel, and Hezbollah fighters, have lost their lives, with 1.2 million people displaced. Furthermore, approximately 375,000 individuals, including Palestinian refugees, have fled to Syria during this period, according to AP.
On Sunday, an Israeli strike on a mosque in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah resulted in the deaths of 21 individuals, as reported by Reuters. The mosque was serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians.
The Israeli military claimed it had executed a precise strike against Hamas operatives who were functioning within a command and control center located at the mosque.
This attack occurred just one day prior to the first anniversary of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinian enclave.
Hamas militants had launched an incursion into Israel on October 7 of the previous year, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has conducted extensive air and ground assaults in Gaza, leading to the deaths of more than 40,000 individuals, including 16,500 children.
Since September 23, Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon have resulted in over 1,000 fatalities, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
