DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇱 Israel /Conflict & Security

Biden warned Trump that Israel 'won't miss chance' to escalate Gaza war to Iran strikes - report

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly warned then-President Donald Trump that Israel might use the Gaza war as an opportunity to strike Iran.
  • Biden administration officials feared Israel would expand the conflict, potentially drawing the U.S. into a larger regional war.
  • Despite U.S. calls for restraint, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly continued to act without prior notification, sometimes leading to U.S. involvement in defending Israel.

Former President Joe Biden reportedly warned then-President Donald Trump that Israel might seize the ongoing war in Gaza as a pretext to strike Iran, according to sources cited by The New Yorker. Administration officials harbored concerns that Israel would expand the conflict, potentially necessitating U.S. intervention and escalating into a wider regional war.

During the Biden presidency, Israel conducted strikes against Iranian infrastructure and Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah. Brett McGurk, Biden's former White House coordinator for the Middle East, argued that unwavering U.S. support for Israel could help contain Iran. However, sources indicated that despite repeated U.S. requests for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid provoking Iran or its proxies, he frequently acted without advance warning.

One former White House official described Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah shortly after a U.S. call for a ceasefire as a "humiliation" for Biden. While the administration did not publicly criticize these actions, they often led to confrontations where the U.S. felt compelled to defend Israel, such as during Iranian strikes in April and October 2024.

Netanyahu reportedly pushed for more extensive strikes on Iranian infrastructure but reluctantly backed down. Former Biden administration officials expressed regret, suggesting that the U.S. protection provided may have inadvertently emboldened Netanyahu to test boundaries with his closest ally. "We could advise them very firmly, and Biden did that with Bibi repeatedly: 'Goddammit,'" one official was quoted as saying.

We could advise them very firmly, and Biden did that with Bibi repeatedly: 'Goddammit,'

— Former Biden administration officialReflecting on the administration's attempts to influence Israeli actions regarding Iran.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog