Biden says Israel should not attack Iranian nuclear facilities, but US officials believe it has the right to respond to the attack

(CNN)- President Joe Biden advised a proportionate response to a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles this week, expressing opposition to a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in hopes of preventing further escalation of the conflict raging in the region.

Two senior administration officials told CNN that privately, U.S. officials are not trying to persuade Israel to stop retaliating against Iran, a notable difference from April, when Biden criticized the Iranian drone strike. Israel was encouraged to “settle for victory” after the successful interception. And missiles.

Instead, Biden hopes Israel will take a measured approach that can protect its right to retaliate, while also avoiding actions that could provoke further retaliation and push the region toward full-scale war. Can take.

“No one is saying don’t respond,” said a senior government official. “No one is saying, ‘Get ready to win.'”

It remains to be seen how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will receive that message, especially since his political position appears more stable following the success of his efforts to degrade Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“Iran has made a big mistake and it will have to pay a price for it,” he said at the start of a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Biden’s efforts to influence his Israeli counterpart last year have been largely ineffective, and the leaders have not spoken since August. Biden told reporters on Wednesday that he planned to talk with Netanyahu “relatively soon,” but it did not appear that a conversation was scheduled.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said negotiations with Israel were ongoing and highlighted the risks of the situation.

“This region is really on a knife’s edge and there is real concern about this escalating further … which could jeopardize not only Israel’s interests, but our strategic interests as well,” Campbell announced Wednesday.

The stakes couldn’t be higher right now. Biden has watched with increasing concern as tensions have escalated in the region. Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and on the Israel–Lebanon border have largely failed. And the pending US presidential election has intensified efforts to manage the crisis.

The intensity of Tuesday’s attack far exceeded projectiles launched by Iran against Israel in April. Thanks to a month-long response coordination effort, Israel and the United States again managed to thwart the missiles. But the enormity of the attack, which Biden called “brazen” in the hours that followed, led U.S. officials to conclude that the Israeli response was justified.

“Israel has the right to respond. This must be a proportionate response,” Biden told reporters on Wednesday after a virtual call with G7 leaders. He said that the leaders agree on this and are preparing to impose new sanctions on Iran.

It’s a different tone from mid-April, when U.S. officials encouraged Israel to acknowledge that Iran had caused limited damage and urged it to move forward. Israel responded against Iran, but in a limited way, by attacking an air defense system in Isfahan.

A major Israeli counter-attack is now expected and may involve multiple targets. The administration currently believes Israel is unlikely to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, although a senior administration official said Israel has not yet decided where it might attack.

“They’re doing the smart thing: taking some time and thinking about it,” the official said.

Biden said on Wednesday that he does not support Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. When asked about the possibility of Israel launching a retaliatory strike against facilities related to the Iranian nuclear program, he replied, “The answer is no.”

Such a decision by Israel would almost certainly lead to the deadly conflict that Biden has worked to avoid in the year since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7. But for Netanyahu and some of his most staunch advisers, it could permanently end what is seen as an existential threat to Israel.

Following this week’s attacks, the United States is closely monitoring any activity related to Iran’s nuclear program, but have not noted any recent changes, two US officials said.

One of the main concerns for the United States is the possibility that Iran will resort to strengthening its nuclear program after Israel weakens its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza and thwarts its ballistic missile attacks.

Although there are currently no indications that Iran would do so, or plan to do so, U.S. officials will continue to monitor the possibility of such a move.

There have been no major changes in Iran’s nuclear stance recently, although over the past year Iran has continued to produce fissile material for its nuclear program. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran’s breakout time, that is, the time needed to produce enough nuclear material for a nuclear weapon, is “now probably a week or two.”

No Israelis were injured or killed in Tuesday’s Iranian attack, which targeted military and intelligence facilities. A Palestinian in the West Bank has been killed by shrapnel from an interceptor missile launched by Israel, according to the hospital where he was treated.

With the two-day Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah beginning on Wednesday, there is some hope that Israel will still be days away from retaliating.

“They have holidays, which gives them time and space,” a senior US official said.

However, waiting several days for a response also has the effect of prolonging the anticipation in a region that is already on a knife’s edge, especially as Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah continues. US and Israeli officials believe about 50% of the Iranian-backed group’s arsenal has been destroyed, CNN reported on Wednesday.

It is believed inside the White House that the developments in the coming weeks will have some impact on the presidential election.

There are few things that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, wants less than a full-scale regional war, which her opponent could use to accuse the Biden administration of incompetence.

Netanyahu, who follows American politics closely, is equally aware of how Israel’s actions could affect the race in the coming weeks. Some Western officials believe they see an opportunity in a high-stakes political moment to take decisive action against Iran, knowing that Biden and Harris will face criticism from all sides for their handling of the war. has suffered.

For her part, Harris emerged Tuesday afternoon to read a carefully worded statement about Iranian attacks on Israel.

“I’m clear,” he said, without deviating from his prepared comments. “Iran is a destabilizing and dangerous force in the Middle East, and today’s attack on Israel further demonstrates this.”