President Joe Biden reportedly threatened to abandon Israel if it responded forcefully to the unprecedented Iranian aerial attack in April.
At the time, the United States and several allies helped Israel defend itself after Iran had launched more than 300 missiles, rockets, and drones at the Jewish state. Nearly all of the incoming fires were intercepted. Israel was weighing its response to the attack, knowing that despite the unprecedented nature of such a large-scale attack launched from Iranian territory, it caused limited damage and few casualties.
“Let me be crystal clear,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the New York Times. “If you launch a big attack on Iran, you’re on your own.”
Netanyahu pushed back on the president’s remarks, but Biden remained firm, stating, “You do this, and I’m out.”
The Israelis ultimately carried out a limited response, proving it could hit targets within Iran, but did not cause any damage or casualties.
Biden has been largely supportive of Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack put the entire region on a war footing, but this is the latest example of the administration’s overriding desire to avoid a wider conflict that it could be dragged into.
Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas is winding down, according to Israeli officials, while there are concerns about its cross-border fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah and Hamas both are supported by Iran.
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An Iranian official warned this week that it could get involved in the fighting if Israel were to launch a preemptive ground invasion of southern Lebanon to push Hezbollah forces further north.
This reported conversation between Biden and Netanyahu was revealed in the Times’s piece about the president’s mental acuity, which has been called into question following last week’s presidential debate. Current and former aides told the outlet that this example demonstrated him being alert and lucid during a tense moment.
