On October 15, US officials stated that the Biden administration believes they have obtained a commitment from Israel that they will not attack Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities in retaliation for Iran’s earlier attacks this month.
The US government also believes that sending the THAAD missile defense system to Israel along with about 100 soldiers to operate the batteries can help alleviate Israel’s concerns about retaliation from Iran and other attacks.
On October 1, Iran launched approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, and the United States assisted Israel in defending against this attack. There are concerns that if Israel retaliates by striking Iran’s energy and nuclear bases, the regional conflict could escalate into a full-scale war.
This news was first reported by The Washington Post, and subsequently, media outlets like the Associated Press also cited sources reporting on the matter.
The Washington Post cited two informed officials as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has told the Biden administration that he is willing to target Iran’s military facilities to prevent a full-scale war. One official stated that Israel would adjust its retaliatory actions to avoid giving the impression that Israel is trying to interfere in the US election.
However, these US officials also warned that based on past records, Israel’s commitment may be influenced by domestic politics and not necessarily unbreakable, and the situation could still change.
Last month, US officials also said that Israeli officials informed them that Netanyahu was willing to accept the temporary ceasefire initiative for Lebanon proposed by the US and France. However, two days later, Israel launched a large-scale airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office stated in a release, “We have heard the opinions of the United States, but we will make the final decision based on our national interests.”
At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Austin and Secretary of State Blinken warned in a letter that Israel must increase the amount of humanitarian aid allowed to enter Gaza in the next 30 days, or the United States may stop military aid to Israel.