Joe Biden has been accused of “sleepwalking” the US into another “catastrophic” war in the Middle East as the threat of Israel’s impending airstrikes on Iran looms large.
The 81-year-old US President is facing mounting pressure to contain the crisis as critics claim that he’s allowed the conflict in the region to escalate. It comes as Israel threatened the use of airstrikes on Iran as it considers “options” following the barrage of Iranian drones and missiles that attempted to strike Israel on Saturday night.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Peter Lerner, confirmed on Monday that Israel’s retaliation may include “a strike or no strike”. The airstrike threat comes as the Israeli military considers “a lot of different scenarios,” Lerner said, as a top commander pulls together a “wide range of options”.
READ MORE:
Biden is facing flack over fears he's 'sleepwalking' US towards the coalface of the conflict (Getty Images)He told reporters that the Israeli government will “decide on the steps forward” in the coming days – with a chance that the decision will come as soon as Monday. “Just because we were successful in intercepting, we shouldn't underestimate what Iran did,” he added as Israel claimed they intercepted 99% of the drones and missiles fired by Iran.
Michelle Mone's husband gifted Tories 'over £171k' as Covid PPE row rumbles on
“We can't take that lightly,” he concluded in the sombre address following fellow IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari vowing both “offensive and defensive action,” in response to Iran's attacks. Both announcements came after a cabinet meeting was convened by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to plan for retaliation, as the world waited anxiously to see if the conflict would escalate into an all-out war.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles in the early hours of Sunday in response to a deadly strike on its consulate in Syria two weeks ago which resulted in the death of 13 people, including seven prominent military figures – despite Israel never directly taking responsibility for the attack. A seven-year-old child from a Bedouin village in the Negev in southern Israel was critically injured.
Daniel Hagari vowed that Israel would take “offensive and defensive action” (AFP via Getty Images)Israel President Isaac Herzog called Iran’s attack a “declaration of war,” as he spoke with G7 leaders on Sunday, adding: “We are considering our options, I am confident we will take steps to protect our people.”
Biden, who promised the US' “ironclad commitment” to defending Israel, made “very clear” to Netanyahu “that we do have to think carefully and strategically about risks of escalation”. However, the US president is facing flack thanks to his inability to influence the Israeli prime minister and hamper the war from broadening beyond Gaza. Now, international relations and defence experts have spoken out about the risk of Israel’s allies, including the US, being sucked into war as conflict escalates.
Fawaz Gerges, professor of International Relations and Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics told NBC: “The strategy of the Biden administration has failed miserably. Biden is sleepwalking the US into another catastrophic war in the Middle East.
'99%' of Iran's missile and drone barrage was intercepted, officials say (AFP via Getty Images)“His overarching goal of preventing the war in Gaza from escalating into neighbouring countries has failed. Biden has failed to influence Netanyahu's decisions either in Gaza or towards Iran.”
It comes as Biden has reportedly privately expressed concerns that Netanyahu is attempting to drag the US into a wider conflict. Senior US defence officials worry Israel's response would be "frenetic" and "catastrophically escalatory", NBC News reports.
Donald Trump, whose New York criminal trial kicks off on Monday, also slammed his presidential election rival, accusing Biden of “weakness and incompetence” for failing to address the US public following the Iranian attack. During a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, the former president wildly claimed that the conflict would be very different if he was in office.
He said: “It would not have happened if I were in office. Today we are considered a joke. It's not going to be for long, believe me.”
The following day, in an email sent to his hoard of MAGA supporters, the Republican wrote: “Crooked Joe is asleep at the wheel! AMERICA IS NOT SAFE. Israel is UNDER ATTACK from Iran! This would NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, ZERO CHANCE if your favourite President, me, was in the Oval Office.”
500 deaths is criminal and you can't blame it on strikers - Voice of the Mirror
Trump claimed that America isn't safe under 'crooked' Joe Biden (Getty Images)It's not just the US president that's under the cosh. There were fears that Britain could also be dragged into a wider conflict after Rishi Sunak sent RAF warplanes to help suppress Tehran’s onslaught. Experts warn tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries may explode into a war that will spark further bloodshed in the Middle East.
Rishi Sunak joined G7 leaders from the US, Canada, France, Japan, Germany and Italy on Sunday night for crisis talks on how to defuse tensions in the region. The Pope called for peace and Keir Starmer said he backed all measures “designed to restore calm” and prevent wider conflict.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country has no intention of continuing the military operation against Israel, but warned: “If necessary, it will not hesitate to protect its legitimate interests against any new aggression.”
The G7 said: “With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilisation of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. We condemn Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel. We will continue to work to stabilise the situation and avoid further escalation.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
