‘Israel will listen to US, but …’: Netanyahu’s office issues statement amid escalating tensions – Times of India

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office issued a firm statement drawing a clear line between Israel’s actions and US influence, emphasising that Israel will make decisions based solely on its own national interests.
This statement accompanied a Washington Post report revealing that Netanyahu had informed President Joe Biden’s administration of Israel’s intent to target Iranian military, rather than nuclear or oil sites, in a potential retaliatory strike.
The planned response follows Iran‘s missile attack on Israel on October 1, amid escalating tensions with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
According to the Washington Post, Netanyahu assured US officials that any Israeli strike would focus on military targets to avoid sparking a full-scale war. This calibrated response would also aim to avoid the perception of interference in the US elections, according to officials cited in the Reuters.
Netanyahu’s office reiterated: “We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interests,” reinforcing that Israel would chart its own course.
The US has opposed any strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, while global oil markets remain jittery over the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iranian oil fields.
Gulf states have urged Washington to prevent such strikes, fearing their own oil infrastructure could become targets of Iranian retaliation through Tehran’s regional proxies if the conflict escalates.