US President Joe Biden on Sunday (September 29) said that he believes an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided and stressed that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the subject. “It has to be”, Biden told reporters as he boarded Air Force One for Washington. “We really have to avoid it.”
Biden’s remarks came as Israel continued its airstrikes across Lebanon and killed dozens of people on Sunday. The Israeli military have also taken down seven high-ranking Hezbollah militants over the past week in the airstrikes, including its the group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah. The latest incidents have raised fears of a full-blown war in the Middle East, which could potentially involve the likes of Iran.
Biden did not mention when he planned to speak with Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister had warned Iran in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly this month that if Iran strikes Israel, the Jewish country will hit back. “There is no place in Iran where the long arm of Israel cannot reach,” Netanyahu had said.
The Hezbollah militant group sustained a string of deadly blows to its command structure in the recent days.
The White House sees the death of Nasrallah as a huge blow to the group. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israel 's war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran, from exploding into an all-out regional conflict.
US backs Nasrallah’s killing
The United States supported the killing of Nasrallah in the Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27 and termed it a “measure of justice” for his terror victims.
"Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over 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 military announced the killing of the Hezbollah chief. The militant group also confirmed his death soon after.
"The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war," he added.
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