Biden says there is ‘possibility’ of ending Iran-Israel attacks | Joe Biden news

US President Joe Biden has expressed optimism about preventing an all-out war between Israel and Iran, but expressed less confidence about the prospects of an early ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters on Friday in Berlin, where he met with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, Biden assessed efforts to end the multi-arena conflict in the Middle East.

“My view is that there is a chance – and my colleagues agree – that we can probably deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while. In other words, it stops the back and forth,” Biden said.

Biden’s recent comments suggest a possible change in US stance. Last week, the State Department indicated it was no longer seeking a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, saying the Lebanese group was “in retreat” after the killings of several of its leaders.

Israel is widely believed to be preparing a strike against Iran in response to the attack that Tehran launched on Israeli military targets on October 1.

Iran fired a barrage of rockets into Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Beirut.

In an earlier round of attacks, Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles into Israel earlier this year in response to the bombing of an Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed seven people.

Asked Friday whether he understood how and when Israel would respond, Biden said: “Yes and yes.” When asked for more details, he added: “No and no.”

Political risks for Biden

The US President had previously indicated that Washington opposed an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear or oil facilities.

A military attack on Iran’s oil sector could drive up global prices and prove costly for American consumers, hurting the election chances of Democratic presidential candidate Biden’s current Vice President Kamala Harris.

Iran has promised to respond forcefully to any Israeli attack.

It is unclear how the US and its European allies plan to prevent an escalation of direct violence between Iran and Israel.

Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip?

Biden has repeatedly vowed to continue arming Israel regardless of his policies, including ongoing concerns about well-documented atrocities in Gaza.

On Friday, the US president signaled that a ceasefire in Gaza was not imminent after Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a shootout with Israeli troops earlier this week.

“We believe there is an opportunity to work towards a ceasefire in Lebanon,” he said. “And in Gaza it will be more difficult, but we agree that there must be a result – what happens the day after?”

On Thursday, Biden described Sinwar’s killing as an “opportunity” for a solution to the Gaza war.

The US president also spoke to Netanyahu by phone to “congratulate” him on Sinwar’s death, the White House said.

The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 42,500 Palestinians, reduced large swathes of the territory to rubble and displaced almost the entire population.

Israel is also accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign in the northern Gaza Strip, where it has ordered people to leave and stopped all humanitarian aid to the area.

The US provides Israel with at least $3.8 billion in military aid each year, and Biden has approved an additional $14 billion in aid since the war in Gaza began in early October 2023.

Escalation in Lebanon?

While Washington warns against an escalation of the conflict, it has expressed support for Israel’s relentless bombing and ground offensive in Lebanon.

Despite the loss of many members of its senior military and political leadership, including its chief Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah has managed to inflict heavy casualties – which it says number in the hundreds – on invading Israeli forces in southern Lebanon this month.

The group also continuously fired rockets into Israel, reaching as far as the suburbs of Tel Aviv.

On Thursday, Hezbollah announced the transition to a new “escalation phase” in the confrontation with Israel, which the group said would emerge in the coming days.