Photo: AFP file
Israel has assured the White House that a planned retaliatory attack on Iran will not target nuclear or oil facilities, according to US media reports. Israel has vowed to respond after Iran fired ballistic missiles at it on October 1 in retaliation for Israel's killing of a senior general in Iran's Revolutionary Guard and key allies of Tehran in the region.
Citing unnamed US officials, the Washington Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reassured the White House that a counterstrike being considered would only target military sites. The Wall Street Journal, also citing US officials speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the pledge was made during a call between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu last week, as well as in recent conversations between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.
The plan "was met with relief in Washington," the Washington Post reported. Biden has cautioned Israel against striking Iran's nuclear or oil facilities to prevent further escalation of the regional conflict and to mitigate concerns about a surge in global energy prices.
However, a statement from Netanyahu's office on Tuesday indicated that Israel will take into account the United States' concerns but will ultimately make decisions based on its national interests. The statement was released alongside the Washington Post's report on Netanyahu informing the US administration that Israel would target Iranian military, not nuclear or oil, installations.
(with inputs from AFP and Reuters)
