'Answer is...': Will US President Joe Biden back Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear programme sites?

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme in response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

“The answer is no,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would support such retaliation after Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

Biden’s comments came after he and fellow G7 leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK spoke by telephone about coordinating new sanctions against Iran. The US and allies are scrambling to keep the West Asia conflict —sparked by Iran-backed Hamas militants’ in Gaza’s October 7 attack on Israel — from spreading further. They are urging Israel to show restraint as it weighs retaliation against Iran for Tuesday’s attack.

Israel is now carrying out what it has described as limited ground operations across its northern border with Lebanon to dig out Hezbollah, another Iran-backed group, after carrying out a series of massive air strikes that killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Last month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians.

Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack.

Biden stated his opposition to Israel hitting Iranian nuclear facilities as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed a range of options in how to respond to Tuesday’s attack. It was the second such attack by Iran on Israel in less than six months.

Israel’s choices range from a largely symbolic strike — similar to how Israel responded after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and attack drones in April — to hitting oil facilities and other infrastructure. Targeting Iran’s controversial nuclear programme is seen as perhaps the most provocative action that Israel could take.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)

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