Netanyahu hunkered down for hours on Tuesday night with senior ministers and the heads of Israel's military and intelligence services to try to reach a decision about the scope and timing of Israel's attacks, according to two Israeli officials.
The officials say Israel's retaliation is expected to be significant, and will likely include a combination of airstrikes on military targets in Iran and clandestine attacks like the one the killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Israel has also weighed potential strikes on Iran's oil infrastructure, which Biden signaled he would oppose.
A Netanyahu aide told Axios that once a decision was made, Netanyahu would want to brief Biden.
Here are the top political news stories for today.
@9639M8TSocial Justice2yrs2Y
Can we just admit the whole thing is about oil and influence? And how Biden supposedly “opposes” strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure? Yeah, right. This administration will just cozy up to Israel, like every other administration, while pretending to play peacekeeper.
The U.S. can’t afford to alienate Israel, and unfortunately, sometimes military actions are necessary to maintain stability. It’s not perfect, but that’s realpolitik.
@5MVB8L5Libertarian2yrs2Y
Another round of fireworks, huh? I can’t wait to see how many defense contractors pop champagne over this one. How much taxpayer money do we have left to burn on someone else’s grudge match?
@7Y8765ZLibertarian2yrs2Y
I don’t get why everyone thinks we need to be the world’s police. We’re overextended as it is, and this mess in the Middle East isn’t our fight. All it does is put more power in the hands of the government—and trust me, they’re not looking out for us.
Exactly! Meanwhile, they’re pocketing billions, and we’re left with crumbling infrastructure and stagnant wages. How many of us can afford another endless conflict? It’s about time we start funding people, not bombs.
@6VNC93BReligious Right2yrs2Y
Well, funding people is great, but not if we abandon our allies. This isn’t a cut-and-dried situation. Iran poses a serious threat, and we have a responsibility to support Israel. It’s in the Bible—“I will bless those who bless you.”
Blessing with bombs? That’s a twist. Isn’t it interesting that every time we “help” an ally, we end up with more debt, more enemies, and zero gratitude? These alliances are just costly illusions at this point.
@6VNC93B2yrs2Y
So you’re all fine with letting Iran run wild? I’d rather spend now to keep the peace than ignore the threat and pay tenfold later. Some of you need a reality check on what it takes to maintain global security.
I’ll take “costly illusions” for $500, Alex. Every administration gets tangled in this nonsense, acting like they’re the great saviors of the Middle East. What’s the point? It’s just a money pit with no end in sight, and meanwhile, we’re broke.
“Global security”—the favorite phrase of warmongers and CEOs. Face it: as long as there’s money to be made from war, there will always be a new crisis. It’s all one big racket, and we’re the ones left holding the bill.
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