Biden Refrains from Public Negotiation

By Andrea Shalal and Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that he will not negotiate in public regarding Israel’s potential attacks on Iran’s oil facilities.

Why It’s Important

Israel is considering its response to a recent ballistic missile attack from Tehran. The U.S. previously indicated that it will collaborate with Israel to ensure Iran faces significant repercussions.

Following Biden’s comments about the U.S. discussing strikes on Iran’s facilities, global oil prices surged. A U.S. official later clarified that Israel has not yet made a decision on how to respond.

Biden also indicated that the U.S. does not support any Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Key Quotes

“I don’t negotiate in public,” Biden stated when questioned about advising Israel against attacking Iran’s oil facilities.

When asked if he was concerned that an Israeli strike would cause a spike in oil prices, he remarked, “If a hurricane hits, prices are going to go up. I don’t know; who knows.”

Biden was further queried about his lack of communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently, to which he responded: “Because there’s no action going on right now.”

Context

This follows a year of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, resulting in nearly 2,000 deaths in Lebanon, primarily within the last two weeks, and the displacement of over 1.2 million individuals. Israel initiated a ground offensive in Lebanon this week, aiming to dismantle Hezbollah and facilitate the return of approximately 60,000 displaced Israelis in the north.

Additionally, Israel is engaged in a conflict in Gaza, where around 42,000 people have died and nearly the entire population of 2.3 million has been displaced. This escalation followed a deadly attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7.