Biden’s Comments Stir Oil Markets Amidst White House Briefing Tensions

On Sunday, reports from Israeli news outlets indicated that the administration under President Joe Biden proposed a “compensation package” to Israel. This offer aims to persuade Israel to hold back from targeting specific locations in Iran.

According to a report by Israel’s Kan11 news, highlighted by the Jerusalem Post, “The package would include a total guarantee of comprehensive diplomatic protection as well as a weapons package and was offered directly in return for holding off on striking certain targets in Iran.”

In words attributed to an American official and reported by Kan11’s Amichai Stein, “An American official said, ‘If you don’t hit targets A, B, C, we will provide you with diplomatic protection and an arms package.’”

Stein also mentioned that the Israeli authorities were not entirely enthusiastic about the proposition, yet they continue to engage in detailed discussions with both the U.S. government and its military forces regarding how to react to a recent missile attack by Iran.

In their response, Israeli officials were quoted asserting, “Israeli officials responded saying, ‘We consider the United States and listen to them. But we will do anything and everything we can to protect the citizens and the security of the State of Israel,’” as per Stein.

This dialogue unfolds in the wake of Iran’s missile offensive against Israel, in which over 180 missiles were fired last Tuesday evening. This act was seemingly in retaliation for the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, which acts as Iran’s proxy in Lebanon.

Despite being more impactful than a previous missile and drone strike by Iran in April, this attack did not cause significant harm or loss of life, as reported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Nonetheless, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, awarded a medal to Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the aerospace commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), branding the missile strike as a “brilliant” achievement.

While in Qatar, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the strike as a “decisive” and “legitimate response” to what he termed as Israel’s continuous offenses. Pezeshkian boasted about the strike being a significant point of pride for Iran, showcasing the vulnerabilities in Israel’s missile defense systems.

Pezeshkian, alongside other Iranian leaders, warned against further Israeli action, threatening an “unconventional response” that would target Israel’s infrastructure should there be any retaliation.

Given these developments, the Biden administration, which previously urged Israel to refrain from responding to Iran’s unsuccessful April assault, now appears to be actively seeking to constrain Israel’s potential reactions rather than outright preventing them.

President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to Israel last Friday, advising against assaults on Iran’s oil facilities. “If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” Biden remarked in an infrequent and uneasy press briefing at the White House.

Biden had earlier suggested that such strikes were a possibility, which led to a sudden increase in global oil prices. “I know not to negotiate in public,” Biden retorted when his comments were deemed to have unsettled the oil markets, although his previous statements had done just that.

Additionally, Biden has openly discouraged Israel from targeting Iran’s nuclear sites and its hidden nuclear missile scheme, a stance that former president and potential 2024 contender Donald Trump criticized. “They asked him, what do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran? And he goes, ‘As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you want to hit, right?” Trump commented during a rally in North Carolina, questioning Biden’s approach and emphasizing the significance of targeting nuclear capabilities first.