Roving Periscope: Biden against “all-out war;” Trump favors Israel targeting Iran’s n-facilities
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions, and a month ahead of the US going to the presidential election on November 5, former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump has favored that Israel should “target Iran’s nuclear facilities first and worry about everything later.”
The ongoing conflict is expected to be reflected in the outcome of the crucial American polls.
Trump’s ‘advice’ came amid reports that Iran may even attack the reluctant Arab states to force them into a Muslim unity against the Jewish state or face popular revolts that might overthrow their monarchical regimes.
As the year-long war now threatens to widen to the entire Middle East, outgoing US President Joe Biden told the Gulf countries to avoid an “all-out war” in the chaotic region. At least four countries—Israel, Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen, besides the Gaza Strip—are already at war.
Since October 7, 2023, when Shia Iran-supported Sunni terror group Hamas invaded Israel, killed nearly 1,200 Jews and others, and took around 250 hostages, the volatile region has suffered the death of nearly 45,000 people. Multiple international efforts to douse the raging fires have failed.
Trump, who has himself survived two assassination attempts in recent weeks, said Israel should respond to Iran’s missile attack and target Tehran’s nuclear facilities. He was referring to a question posed to President Biden about the possibility of Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities after the missile attack.
“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 said.
He added, “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit? I mean, it’s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons.”
Trump said President Biden should have asked Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear sites and “worry about everything else later.”
“If they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it. But we’ll find out whatever their plans are,” Trump added.
His remarks came a day after President Biden said that an “all-out war” in the Middle East was unlikely. When asked how confident he was about a massive war breaking out in the Middle East as Lebanon and Iran try to corner Israel, he said, “How confident are you it’s not going to rain? Look, I don’t believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it.”
When asked if he would send American troops to help Israel, President Biden responded: “We have already helped Israel. We are going to protect Israel.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first Friday sermon in five years, justified Tehran’s attack on Israel as “legal and legitimate” and the minimum punishment for “Israel’s crimes.”
“Israel pretends to win through assassinations, destruction, bombing, and killing of civilians. This behavior increased the resistance’s motivation. This reality shows us that every strike launched by any group against Israel is a service to the region and all humanity,” he said.
His first sermon since 2020 also came just a few days before the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, October 7.
