Washington, Oct 4 (EFE).- US President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel should look for “alternatives” to bombing Iranian oil facilities in retaliation for the attack Tehran launched on Tuesday with nearly 200 missiles against Israeli territory.
“I think if I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” Biden said at a White House press conference.
On Israel’s response to Iran, Biden said his team was in constant with their Israeli counterparts and expressed hope that once Israel had considered its options, there would be a dialogue with Washington, its biggest international ally.
These comments about “alternatives” to bombing oil facilities come after oil prices rose the previous day following Biden’s statement that the possibility of such attacks in Iran was being discussed with Israel.
On Thursday, a reporter asked Biden before he boarded Marine One if he would Israel attacking Iranian oil facilities, to which the president briefly responded without offering details: “We’re in discussion of that.”
Earlier this week, Biden stated that he would not an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, marking a red line that would represent a further escalation in the region.
During the press conference, Biden was also asked about the comments made by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on Thursday, who said Netanyahu might be trying to influence the US elections on Nov. 5 by refusing to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas and escalating tensions in Lebanon with the Shiite group Hezbollah, an ally of Tehran.
In response, Biden pointed out that no other government has helped Israel more than his, with the sending of billions of dollars in arms.
“No istration has helped Israel more than I have. None. None, none. And I think Bibi should that. And whether he’s trying to influence the election, I don’t know but I’m not counting on that,” Biden said, referring to Netanyahu by the nickname he is known by in Israel.
In the US elections on Nov. 5, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will face former Republican President Donald Trump (2017-2021) for the White House.
Harris has shown a pro-Israel policy similar to Biden’s but with greater sensitivity to Palestinian suffering.
On the other hand, Trump ed Israel almost unconditionally and, during his time in the White House, promoted the Abraham Accords, which allowed for reconciliation between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Trump has maintained a very close relationship with Netanyahu but was upset with him when he recognized Biden’s victory in the 2020 elections, which the Republican claims, without evidence, was rigged. EFE
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