Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a swipe at President Biden's administration Tuesday, stating firmly that Israel – not the U.S. – will decide how best to retaliate against Iran's recent aggression.
Biden administration officials have urged Israel to show restraint against both Iran and Hezbollah, the terrorist proxy group operating in Lebanon. Netanyahu's regime has mulled action against Iran since it fired roughly 200 missiles into Israeli territory on Oct. 1.
"We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Netanyahu issued the statement following a report from the Washington Post claiming that the Biden White House was confident that Netanyahu was in a "more moderate place" now than in recent weeks.
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White House officials say Israel has assured the U.S. that it will not target Iran's oil or nuclear facilities, however. That agreement came after Biden and Netanyahu held a phone call last week and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli officials this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly told Israeli officials earlier this month that the U.S. expects "clarity and transparency" about Israel's plans, specifically regarding any retaliation against Iran for the latest missile attack.
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Vice President Kamala Harris also wouldn't say whether she thought the administration had influence over Netanyahu in an interview last week.
Nevertheless, Biden approved the Pentagon to send an advanced missile defense system to Israel this week, along with roughly 100 U.S. soldiers to operate it.
Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has previously been deployed to Israel in 2019, but only for an exercise, Pentagon officials say. The system helps bolster Israel's defense against more sophisticated missiles in Iran's arsenal.
"The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement.
