US President Joe Biden said on Sunday (September 29) that he believes an all-out war in the Middle East should be avoided and stressed that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the issue. “It has to be this way,” Biden told reporters as he boarded Air Force One bound for Washington. “We really have to avoid it.”
Biden’s comments came as Israel continued its airstrikes across Lebanon, killing dozens of people on Sunday. The Israeli military also shot down seven senior Hezbollah militants over the past week in airstrikes, including the group’s head, Hassan Nasrallah. The latest incidents have raised fears of a full-blown war in the Middle East, which could involve countries such as Iran.
Biden did not mention when he planned to speak with Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister had warned Iran in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly this month that if Iran attacks Israel, the Jewish country will hit back. “There is no place in Iran where Israel’s long arm cannot reach,” Netanyahu had said.
The Hezbollah militant group suffered a series of deadly blows to its command structure in recent days.
The White House considers Nasrallah’s death a serious blow to the group. At the same time, the administration has sought to proceed cautiously as it attempts to contain Israel’s war against Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from erupting into an all-out regional conflict.
The United States supports the assassination of Nasrallah
The United States supported the killing of Nasrallah in the Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27, calling it a “measure of justice” for his victims of terrorism.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans during a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians,” Biden said in a statement, hours after the Israeli army announced the assassination of the Hezbollah chief. The militant group also confirmed his death shortly after.
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and any other Iranian-backed terrorist group. Just yesterday I ordered my Secretary of Defense to further improve the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East. Eastern region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war,” he added.
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