The Israeli request for American support comes after the Israeli Prime Minister ignored it Benjamin Netanyahu The American request for a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah, and the devastating attack on the southern suburb of Beirut, on Friday, which claimed the lives of Nasrallah, the Deputy Commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Abbas Nilforoushan, and others, without even prior American consultation.
The American President confirmed Joe Biden His administration said they had no prior knowledge of the attack, but they did not criticize it and issued the usual statements supporting “Israel’s right to self-defense.”
According to American and Israeli officials who spoke to Axios, there is concern that the Friday strike that killed Nasrallah and Nilforoushan “may push Tehran to the brink of the abyss.”
One American official said: “Nasrallah was a bad man, but it is frustrating that the Israelis would do this without consulting us and then ask us to take action when it comes to deterring Iran.”
Another American official explained: “Nasrallah’s hands are stained with blood, but the Biden administration does not understand how the Israeli strike approach will address the situation.”
In a conversation after the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asked his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, “to take practical steps and issue statements to deter.” Iran An attack on Israel“, according to American and Israeli officials.
On Saturday, Biden issued a statement in which he said that he had directed to “strengthen the defensive position of American forces in the Middle East, to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.”
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) also said: “Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iran-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict.”
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said that Austin made clear that the United States “remains in a position to protect American forces and facilities in the region, and is committed to defending Israel.”
Last April, Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time in history, in response to an Israeli air strike that killed Iranian officers in Syria.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is already escalating into a comprehensive war that could drag in Iran, which has long threatened to strike Israel in response to the assassination of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran last July, but did not do so.
In recent weeks, he urged Hezbollah Iran wanted to launch an attack against Israel, but it did not agree to do so, according to Axios.
