By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-04 20:23:30 | Updated at 2024-10-04 23:19:21
3 hours ago
US President Joe Biden on Friday advised Israel against striking Iran’s oil facilities, saying he was trying to rally the world to avoid the escalating prospect of all-out war in the Middle East.
Making a surprise first appearance in the White House briefing room, Biden added that Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu “should remember” US support for Israel when deciding on next steps.
“If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oilfields,” Biden told reporters, when asked about his comments a day earlier that Washington was discussing the possibility of such strikes with its ally.
Biden added that the Israelis “have not concluded how they’re what they’re going to do” in retaliation for a huge ballistic missile attack by Iran on Israel on Tuesday.
The price of oil had jumped after Biden’s remarks on Thursday.
Any long-term rise could be hugely damaging for Biden’s Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democrat confronts Republican former US president Donald Trump in a November 5 election where the cost of living is a major issue.
