President Biden and his team, hoping to avoid further escalation leading to a wider war in the Middle East, are advising Israel that its successful defense against Iranian airstrikes constituted a major strategic victory that might not require another round of retaliation, U.S. officials said.
Whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his government will agree to leave it at that was not immediately clear.
Although damage from the attack was relatively light, the scope of the strikes went well beyond the small-bore tit-for-tat shadow war between Iran and Israel in recent years, crossing a red line by firing weapons from Iranian territory into Israeli territory.
Emotions were running high among Israeli officials during phone calls with American partners late into the night, and the pressure to fire back was consequently strong.
The U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions, stressed that the decision was ultimately up to Israel.
Persons:
Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu
Organizations:
Iranian, Israel, U.S
Locations:
Israel, Iran, Lebanon