US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as Israel weighs the scope of its anticipated retaliatory strike on Iran.
The call which lasted about 45 minutes marks the first time the two leaders have spoken since August. Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic contender for the Presidency was on the call.
It coincided with a sharp escalation of Israel’s conflict with both Iran and Iran-backed Hezbollah with no sign of an imminent ceasefire deal to end the conflict with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza.
Rising tension throughout region
The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel’s response to a missile attack last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon.
Netanyahu has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region which could draw in the United States.
In advance of the call, Netanyahu spoke about Iran with a delegation from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
“There is only one force in the world fighting Iran right now. There’s only one force in the world that stands in Iran’s way to conquest. And that force is Israel. If we don’t fight, we die. But it’s not only our fight, it’s the free world’s fight, and I would say the civilized world’s fight,” Netanyahu stated.
This dictatorship, he said, “wants to throw us all back into a dark age. They want to destroy us and others. Us first, because we stand in their way of conquering the Middle East, but they want to subjugate the world and bring it back to dark ages,” he stated.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had been expected to travel to Washington Tuesday to discuss Iran with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, but the trip was delayed until after the Netanyahu-Biden call.
The Defense Ministry clarified that all Gallant’s trips to the United States to discuss security matters would have Netanyahu’s approval.
“The Minister of Defense is a representative of the Israeli government and the Prime Minister, and any political travel will only be carried out with official approval,” Gallant’s office said.
Gallant had informed Netanyahu of Austin’s invitation to visit last week and “the two agreed that [Gallant] would prepare to fly on Tuesday night after security discussions take place.”
“At the Prime Minister’s request, the Defense Minister postponed his trip last night until after the Prime Minister’s political conversation with the President of the United States,” the Defense Ministry said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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