Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton slammed President Biden's handling of Israel's response to Iran, accusing the administration of exerting "enormous pressure" on Israel's Friday response to Iran's attack last weekend, The Hill reported.
Early Friday, the Israeli military response struck close to a major air base and nuclear site in Iran. The strike was purported to be an answer to the previous drone and missile strikes on Israel that took place last weekend.
"I think what Israel did, as far as it went, was fine," Bolton said Friday on the "Cats & Cosby" radio show, hosted by John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby. "I think they were under enormous pressure, I mean, enormous pressure, from the Biden administration not to do more. I can appreciate that; it's a difficult position to be in."
Israeli officials, who had previously issued stern warnings of a robust retaliation to Iran's recent assault, ultimately carried out a response of limited scale. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had emphasized Israel's commitment to self-defense, stating, "[t]he state of Israel will take all necessary measures to protect itself," during a Cabinet meeting.
"But even within the war Cabinet in Israel, people believe that opposition leader Benny Gantz wanted to go further," he continued. "And I think they should have. I think Iran was very, very lucky here."
Analysts asserted that Israel's comparatively restrained reaction stemmed from its aim to curb the escalating conflict between the Middle Eastern nations.
"The goal was to restore deterrence and discourage any further Iranian attack on the Israeli homeland," Richard Haass, the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote. But the Israeli action was also calibrated to make it easy for Iran not to respond. Israel's government is not trumpeting what took place."
Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, speaking in an interview with NBC News on Friday evening, cast doubt on Israel's involvement in the incident, stating that the military lacks evidence linking them to the attack. He further underscored that while Iran would not retaliate for Friday's strike, it would respond if such actions were repeated.
The threat of a second Iranian strike raised eyebrows, however, as Iran's initial missile and drone barrage against Israel last weekend "turned out to be a spectacular failure," with nearly all of the projectiles failing to hit Israel, CIA Director William Burns said Thursday, speaking at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, NBC News reported.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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