WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States government believes it has obtained assurances from Israel that it will not attack Iran’s nuclear or oil sites while evaluating how to respond to the recent barrage of Iranian missiles a few weeks ago, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
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The Joe Biden administration also believes that the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel, along with around 100 soldiers to operate it, has alleviated some of Israel's concerns about potential Iranian retaliation and general security issues.
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The Pentagon announced on Sunday the deployment of THAAD to help strengthen Israel's air defenses following Iran's ballistic missile attacks against Israel in April and October, stating it was authorized by President Joe Biden's order.
Is Israel's guarantee to the United States government credible?
US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions, warned that the guarantee is not ironclad and that circumstances could change. The same sources also pointed out that Israel's track record in fulfilling guarantees in the past is uneven and has often reflected Israeli domestic policy that has altered Washington's expectations.
The most recent example of this occurred last month, when Israeli officials informed U.S. officials that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would welcome a temporary ceasefire initiative for Lebanon led by the United States and France, only to then witness Israel launching a massive airstrike that killed the leader of the political-paramilitary group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, two days later.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement, "We hear the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interests."
The Middle East has been preparing for an expected response from Israel after Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles on October 1, which the United States helped repel. Mutual response attacks and uncertainty over whether Israel could target strategically important energy and nuclear facilities in Iran have raised fears of an escalation towards a total regional war.
Biden has said he would not support an Israeli retaliatory attack on facilities related to Tehran’s nuclear program and has urged Israel to consider alternatives to attacking the Iranian oil sector. Such an attack could affect the global oil market and spike prices just before the US presidential elections.