Israel Assures US It Won’t Attack Iran’s Oil or Nuclear Sites, Report
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israel has assured the United States that it will not target Iran’s nuclear or oil sites when it delivers its much-anticipated retaliation for Tehran’s missile attack on the Jewish state earlier this month, the Associated Press was told Tuesday by two Biden administration officials.
The Biden administration has expressed concern that attacking Iranian oil and nuclear facilities would spark an all-out regional war that would endanger both Israeli and American interests, a situation the US has worked to prevent for decades.
The two officials also told AP that the Biden administration believes it has provided reassurance to Israel by sending a US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel and around 100 troops to operate it.
Authorized by President Joe Biden, the THAAD deployment is intended to boost Israel’s air defense systems in the wake of Iran’s missile attacks on the Jewish state on October 1 and April 14 this year.
However, AP noted in its report: “The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions, cautioned that Israel’s assurances are not ironclad and that circumstances could change.”
“The officials also noted that Israel’s track record on fulfilling pledges in the past is mixed and has often reflected domestic Israeli politics that have upended Washington’s expectations,” AP added.