Israel’s defense minister is traveling to Washington soon as the country continues to weigh how to respond to an Iranian missile attack and the US urges restraint.
Yoav Gallant will on Wednesday discuss the “ongoing Middle East security developments” with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon said.
US President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear program or oil infrastructure, amid concerns either move could trigger a wider war that drags in Washington, pushes up energy prices and hits the global economy.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran made “a big mistake” and will “pay for it.” The barrage of 200 ballistic missiles caused little damage, with one fatality in the West Bank, but millions of Israelis were forced into shelters and some air bases were hit.
“If Gallant is due in US this week, it’s clear Israel’s response against Iran has been delayed,” Aaron David Miller, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Fellow and former State Department Arab-Israeli negotiator, said on X. “The complexities of escalation and the need to convince — and perhaps coordinate — Israel’s response with the US seem to be top of mind.”
Iran says any attack against it will be met with a powerful response.
The head of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, warned of the consequences of misjudgments by any side.
“We face the very real danger of a further regional escalation of conflict,” Burns said Monday. “You can see the potential for inadvertent collisions, misunderstandings, actions that take on a life of their own.”
He added that “the Israeli leadership is weighing very carefully how it’s going” to react to Iran’s salvo and that it will take into account the White House’s concerns.
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