Biden expected to discuss Israeli attack on Iran with Netanyahu on Wednesday - Axios

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, ARMENPRESS. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hold a crucial phone call on Wednesday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel's plans to strike Iran, three U.S. officials told Axios.

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.

"We want to use the call to try and shape the limitations of the Israeli retaliation," a U.S. official told Axios. The U.S. official said the U.S. wants to make sure Israel attacks targets in Iran that are significant without being disproportionate.

The expected Biden-Netanyahu call would come one week after Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to a string of Israeli assassinations on senior Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian officials. Tehran said its response would end there unless Israel attacked Iran. Israel, for its part, vowed retaliation.