(Washington) Joe Biden on Friday advised Israel against attacking Iranian oil sites and asked the world to mobilize to avoid a total war in the Middle East.
Posted at 5:42 p.m.
Danny KEMP
Agence France-Presse
During a surprise intervention in front of the press at the White House, the American president estimated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would do well to “remember” the aid provided to his country by the United States, ally number one and military support from Israel.
“If I were in their place, I would consider other options than hitting oil fields” in Iran, he declared, as he was asked to explain his comments the day before on discussions between Washington and Israel on the possibility of such strikes.
The Israelis, he continued, “have not determined what they are going to do” after Iran’s massive missile launch against Israel on Tuesday.
Oil prices jumped Thursday after the remarks.
The campaign of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential election, could suffer from a long-term rise in energy prices while the cost of living is a subject of major concern for Americans.
The appearance of Joe Biden behind the lectern in the room dedicated to press briefings at the White House took the media by surprise, as it had not been announced. In almost four years in office, he had never taken part in the exercise.
“Mobilize the rest of the world”
The president is preparing to leave power in a context of crisis, with an explosive situation in the Middle East while at home, his government is criticized for its reaction to Hurricane Helene, which left more than 200 dead in the southeastern United States.
The US president reiterated that he was doing everything to avoid all-out war in the Middle East, where Israel is carrying out strikes in Lebanon in the hope of eradicating pro-Iranian Hezbollah.
“The most important thing we can do is try to mobilize the rest of the world and our allies to participate” and help ease tensions, he said, citing France as an example. .
“When you have (pro-Iranian) groups as irrational as Hezbollah and the (Yemeni rebels) Houthis, things are difficult,” declared the American president.
PHOTO ELIZABETH FRANTZ, ARCHIVES REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Joe Biden during a meeting last July in the Oval Office of the White House.
Joe Biden did not hide his irritation with Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom relations leave something to be desired as the United States tries to frame Israel’s devastating response to the deadly Hamas attack of October 7 on Israeli soil.
The Israeli prime minister has consistently ignored American calls for restraint in Lebanon and Gaza, where more than 41,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli reprisals.
« Contact constant »
The American president kicked in when asked if he felt that the Israeli prime minister was reluctant to agree to a peace agreement in an attempt to influence the outcome of the American presidential election.
“No administration has helped Israel as much as I have. None, none, none. And I think Bibi (Mr. Netanyahu’s nickname) should remember that,” he insisted. “As for whether he’s trying to influence the election, I don’t know, but I’m not counting on it.”
Although he has not spoken to him personally since the Iranian attack, the two countries are in “constant contact,” he also said. “They’re not going to make a decision immediately so we’re going to wait and see when they want to talk.”
Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran would face severe retaliation for the firing of around 200 Iranian missiles against Israel on Tuesday.
Tehran claims that this attack was motivated by Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.
Claiming to act to support Gaza, the pro-Iranian group began firing rockets against Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli soil, which left more than 1,200 dead.
