Amid talks of Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran, United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he was “discussing” the possible strikes on Tehran’s oil sites.
Biden’s comments came after Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel following Tel Aviv’s ground incursion in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.
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While speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said that he was not expecting Israel to launch any retaliation for Tehran's missile attack on Israel anytime soon.
Earlier there were reports that Israel is planning to launch targeted airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Biden had stood firm on the stand that the US will not back Israel if it attacks Iranian nuclear sites further deepening the Middle East crisis.
Meanwhile, amid reports of Israel’s targeted attack on Tehran’s oil sites, the oil prices skyrocketed. Oil prices jumped five per cent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden’s response to the attack.
With nearly a month before the US elections, a rise in oil prices could be affecting the candidates.
When asked whether he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran, Biden said, "First of all, we don't 'allow' Israel, we advise Israel. And nothing is going to happen today."
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retaliation after Iran’s attack.
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Also, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said it killed Hezbollah commander, Khader Shahabiya, who was responsible for a rocket attack on Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers on a football field in July.
Iran has launched over 100 missiles at Israel after Tel Aviv intensified its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. A targeted Israeli strike on Beirut killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, along with 19 other top leaders of the group.
Earlier Netanyahu had warned Tehran that it could reach anywhere in Iran. After Nasrallah's death, there were reports that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei was the next target. Khamenei was shifted to a safer place with more security measures after that.