Biden opposes Israeli retaliation on Iranian nuclear sites, Israel vows "severe response"

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said that he does not support a retaliatory Israeli strike targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, amid mounting tensions following a large-scale missile attack by Iran on Israeli military bases.

Speaking to reporters, Biden emphasized Israel's right to defend itself but cautioned that any response must be proportionate. "We’ll be discussing with the Israelis what they’re going to do," Biden said, adding that Israel has a right to respond, but it should be proportional.

The US president also announced that the US will impose new sanctions on Tehran in response to the latest developments.

The tensions erupted after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a missile strike late Tuesday, targeting Israeli military bases near Tel Aviv.

In a statement, the IRGC said the strikes were in retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and the former political leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh, as well as the commander of Iranian operations, Abbas Nilforoushan.

In its follow-up statement, the IRGC specified that it targeted the Netzarim Air Base, home to Israel’s F-35 fighter jets, and three other military bases near Tel Aviv. "This operation was carried out within the framework of the right to self-defense and following international law," the IRGC added, warning that any further "foolishness" from Israel would result in a devastating response.

Iran’s state television reported that, for the first time, the IRGC used missile defense technology to destroy Israel's Arrow-3 defense system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere.

In response to the Iranian attack, Israel's War Council has opted for a "severe response".

According to Israel’s public broadcaster, the security-focused War Council decided to carry out a strong retaliation in response to the Iranian attack, though specific details of the planned actions were not disclosed.