United States of America President, Joe Biden, has noted that he is advising Israel against carrying out attacks on Iran’s Oil infrastructure.
When quipped as he left the White House what plans the US had to allow Israel to strike Iran, he responded: “First of all, we don’t allow Israel, we advise Israel and there’s nothing that’s going to happen today.”
A US official also intimated Reuters news agency the US believes Israel is “still determining what exactly they will do.”
It would be recalled that Joe Biden earlier said the US did not support strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett had earlier opined that Iran’s nuclear facilities should be struck.
Bennett argued striking Iran’s nuclear facilities could “help change the face of the Middle East” and “fatally cripple this terrorist regime”.
However reports in Israeli media citing local officials suggest Israel plans to first strike Iran’s oil facilities.
It was stated that if Iran hits back, Israel will strike its nuclear plants.
Speaking on Wednesday, Iran’s chief of staff Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri told state TV that it would hit infrastructure across Israel if it retaliates.
The barrage “will be repeated with bigger intensity and all infrastructure of the regime will be targeted”, Mr Bagheri said.
G7 countries have also been quoted as stating that Israel “has the right to respond, but they should respond proportionally”.
It would be recalled that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “will pay a heavy price” for Tuesday’s attack, which saw at least 180 ballistic missiles fired at Israel.
Of particular concern is whether any escalation could block the Straits of Hormuz, through which a third of oil tanker traffic and a fifth of LNG frozen gas has to pass.