Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided against launching immediate retaliatory strikes against Iran after a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Saturday night, as per Israeli officials who spoke to the New York Times.
According to two unnamed officials, Netanyahu’s war cabinet presented him with options for responding to a significant drone and missile attack by Iran on Saturday evening. Despite some members of the cabinet advocating for an instant military response, Netanyahu ultimately opted not to heed their advice at the request of Biden, the sources revealed.
The specifics of Biden’s discussion with Netanyahu were not disclosed by the White House. However, Axios reported on Sunday that Biden informed Netanyahu that Israel had essentially emerged victorious in the clash with Iran and suggested that he “take the win.” The American outlet also noted that during the call, it was made clear that any retaliatory measures by Israel would not receive backing from Washington.
Netanyahu’s war cabinet convened on Sunday afternoon to deliberate on Israel’s reaction to the Iranian assault, while Iran’s top military commander stated that the “Zionist regime” had been adequately “punished,” and Tehran would refrain from further military action unless provoked by Israel.
On Saturday, Iran launched multiple rounds of missiles and kamikaze drones at Israel, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting at least 300 projectiles fired. Although the IDF claimed to have intercepted 99% of the incoming drones and missiles, video evidence showed several impacts on Israeli territory.
Iranian authorities asserted that they had achieved “greater success than anticipated” during the assault and asserted that two Israeli bases had been obliterated. However, the IDF acknowledged only minimal harm to a single military facility.
This offensive occurred a fortnight after an alleged Israeli airstrike targeted an Iranian consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria.
The strike resulted in the demise of seven officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, including two high-ranking generals. Tehran had previously indicated its retaliatory actions, as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been cautioning Israel for more than a week about an impending “slap in the face.”
