Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reassured US President Joe Biden that any counterstrike would focus solely on military targets….reports Asian Lite News
Israel has assured the White House that its planned retaliation against Iran will avoid targeting nuclear or oil facilities, according to US media reports on Monday.
The pledge comes after Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, in response to Israel’s killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders and an Iranian general.
Unnamed US officials told the Washington Post that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reassured President Joe Biden that any counterstrike would focus solely on military targets.
This assurance was reportedly given during a call between Biden and Netanyahu last week, and in recent discussions between US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that this pledge was met with relief in Washington, as Biden had cautioned Israel against hitting nuclear or oil infrastructure to prevent a wider regional conflict and avoid a surge in global energy prices.
This missile strike marks Iran’s second direct attack on Israel, following missile and drone fire in April, which was in retaliation for an air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, attributed to Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated on Monday that the country will utilise all its capacities to hold Israel accountable for the “crime” of assassinating a senior Iranian commander in Lebanese capital Beirut late last month.
In a statement, the ministry expressed condolences over the death of Abbas Nilforoushan, who was killed on September 27 alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a meeting when Israel launched a large-scale targeted strike on the group’s headquarters in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut.
The ministry described the assassination of senior Iranian military official as an “illegal act and an unforgivable crime,” warning that any compromise regarding Israeli “aggressions and crimes” would embolden further “crimes.”
The slain commander’s body will be laid to rest in his hometown of Isfahan on Tuesday, following a funeral ceremony earlier that day in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Xinhua news agency reported.
Jordan warns of grave consequences
King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday stressed that Jordan stands with Lebanon and its sovereignty, security, and stability, according to a royal court statement, carried by Jordan News Agency (Petra)
During a meeting with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s readiness to support the Lebanese people and mitigate the impact of the ongoing war on them.
At the meeting, the King said Jordan is working in coordination with Arab and key international actors to put a stop to the Israeli war on Lebanon.
The King warned that the continuation and expansion of the Israeli war on Lebanon would lead to a regional war with grave consequences.
Meanwhile, during a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Monday, Abdullah warned of the consequences of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling on the international community to step up the humanitarian response in the Strip.
According to a royal court statement, the King reiterated the need to stop the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon and to de-escalate the situation in the region.
He also warned of the repercussions of the continued violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the UN Peacekeeping Chief said that its soldiers will stay in all their positions in Lebanon despite the calls made by Israeli authorities to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.
“The decision was made that UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defense Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, after briefing the Security Council on Monday on the situation in Lebanon.
“I want to emphasise that this decision still remains,” he said, adding that the decision was confirmed earlier on Monday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and was carefully considered based on “a number of elements and criteria”.
“Of course, the safety and security of the peacekeepers is a paramount priority,” said Lacroix as reported by Xinhua news agency.
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