A day after President Biden said the United States was “in discussion” about the possibility that Israel might strike Iran’s vast oil fields, he suggested that Israel should consider alternative ways to retaliate against Iran.
“The Israelis have not concluded how they, what they’re going to do in terms of a strike. That’s under discussion,” Mr. Biden said during a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room on Friday. “If I were in their shoes, I would be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields.”
In Mr. Biden’s first appearance at the podium of the briefing room since taking office, he faced a flurry of questions about concerns for a broader war in the Middle East, his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and what actions the United States may take against Iran after it fired some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this week.
Asked whether Mr. Netanyahu was refusing to agree to a diplomatic deal for a cease-fire — something Mr. Biden has repeatedly called for — to influence the results of the U.S. election, Mr. Biden asserted he has supported Israel more than any other American president.
“And I think Bibi should remember that,” Mr. Biden said, referring to the Israeli leader by a nickname. “Whether he’s trying to influence the election, I don’t know, but I’m not counting on that.”
Mr. Biden said his administration was considering imposing sanctions against Iran and was still communicating with Mr. Netanyahu’s team about what retaliatory steps Israel might take. Mr. Biden said he was not “seeking” to immediately speak to Mr. Netanyahu but expected to speak with him once Israel makes a decision about how it will respond to this week’s attack by Iran.
“I’m assuming when they make their judgment about how they’re going to respond, we will then have a discussion,” Mr. Biden said, emphasizing that his team was in constant contact with Mr. Netanyahu’s team.
“They are trying to figure out — this is high holidays as well — they’re not going to make a decision immediately,” Mr. Biden added. “So we’ll wait and see when they want to talk.”
Despite defending Israel’s right to defend itself, Mr. Biden also issued words of caution.
“The Israelis have every right to respond to the vicious attacks on them, not just from the Iranians but from everyone from Hezbollah to Houthis,” Mr. Biden said. “But the fact is they have to be very much more careful about dealing with civilian casualties.”
He added he was focused on working with allies to prevent a broader war in the region, but “when you have proxies as irrational as Hezbollah and the Houthis, it’s a hard thing to determine.”
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