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JERUSALEM — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone talk with US President Joe Biden, the first since August, amid rising tensions between Israel and its arch-foe Iran, as confirmed by both Netanyahu's office and the White House.
The talk was "direct" and "productive," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a later press briefing on Wednesday, adding the two leaders "continued to have a discussion on Israel's response to the (Iranian) attack last week," without providing specific details.
After the 30-minute call, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a video issued by his office, threatened a "lethal" retaliation against Iran's October 1 attack, which Tehran claimed was in retaliation for the alleged Israeli assassinations of key resistance figures, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Iranian attack involved approximately 180 ballistic missiles and caused damage to several airbases and residential buildings, with no fatalities reported.
Describing the Iranian attack as a failure, Gallant warned, "Our (retaliatory) strike would be lethal, precise, and, most importantly, surprising -- they won't understand what happened and how it happened. They will see the results."
Before the phone talk between Netanyahu and Biden, Israeli media reported earlier in the day that Netanyahu, along with top Israeli officials, reached significant decisions regarding an impending Israeli attack on Iran during a meeting on Tuesday night.
The Times of Israel, citing senior sources, indicated that the primary focus of Israeli retaliation would be Iranian military facilities, although this strategy may evolve.