None of this would be happening if Trump was still in charge.
On Monday, President Biden and Vice President Harris will convene with national security officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East. This meeting comes in response to Iran’s repeated threats of retaliation against Israel following the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The primary focus of the meeting will be to address the rapidly evolving situation in the region. The death of Haniyeh has intensified concerns about a broader regional conflict. Although Israel has not officially confirmed its involvement in the strike, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed to retaliate against Israel for what he views as an act of aggression.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who briefed Group of Seven (G7) leaders on a conference call, there is a high possibility of immediate retaliatory attacks from Iran and its Hezbollah allies. This call was an urgent effort to de-escalate the situation and prevent a full-scale war, Axios reported.
The G7 members have been actively reaching out to Iran in an attempt to curb the scale of their retaliation and avert a regional conflict, as reported by Bloomberg. Iran’s foreign ministry has indicated that while they do not wish to escalate tensions further, they believe they have the right to respond to Israeli actions under international law.
Haniyeh’s assassination adds to the already high tensions in the region, coming shortly after Israel’s killing of Fuad Shukr, the chief military leader of Hezbollah in Beirut. The consecutive deaths of these militant leaders are likely to exacerbate the situation, particularly following Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel earlier this year.
Some analysts have suggested that Iran might not have the capability to launch another massive assault similar to April’s attack and might instead utilize its proxies like Hezbollah for any response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the current state as a “multifront war,” citing ongoing hostilities since Hamas’ surprise assault on southern Israel in early October, which resulted in significant casualties.
In response, Israel’s actions in Gaza have led to substantial losses, and the conflict has also seen ongoing rocket attacks from Hezbollah. White House Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer emphasized the administration’s efforts to manage and contain the situation, stating their commitment to preventing further escalation.