File picture of U.S. President Joe Biden on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House
| Photo Credit: via Reuters

Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed Wednesday (October 9, 2024) to stay in “close contact” as Israel mulls its response to Iran, with the U.S. President also urging the Israeli premier to “minimise” harm to civilians in Lebanon, the White House said.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu’s call was their first in nearly two months and came amid mounting pressure from Washington not to strike Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities less than four weeks before the U.S. presidential election.

A White House readout of the call did not directly mention possible retaliation for an Iranian missile strike on Israel last week but said Mr. Biden had condemned Tehran’s attack “unequivocally” and pledged “ironclad” support for Israel.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu “agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days, both directly and through their national security teams,” the readout said, adding that Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris also joined the call.

The call came as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had been due to discuss Israel’s response in Washington on Wednesday before the last-minute postponement of his visit by Mr. Netanyahu, pledged on Wednesday: “Our attack on Iran will be deadly, precise and surprising.”

Offensive against Hezbollah

Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu also discussed Israel’s offensive against Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, the White House said.

The U.S. president “reaffirmed” Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah rocket attacks “while emphasising the need to minimise harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut,” it said.

Mr. Netanyahu had warned earlier Wednesday that Lebanon faced “destruction” like that in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, which has been under relentless bombardment since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

Hostages in Gaza

On Gaza, the two leaders also “discussed the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas.”

The White House had earlier described the call lasting around 30 minutes as “direct,” “honest” and “productive.”

“The U.S. and the Israeli government have had discussions since last week since after the Iran attack. Those discussions continued with the president and the prime minister,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“We’re going to continue to have those discussions with Israel on how they’re going to respond.”

Ms. Jean-Pierre also reacted to Mr. Netanyahu’s comments on Lebanon, saying: “We cannot and will not see Lebanon turn into another Gaza.”

But she would not comment on a new book by veteran U.S. journalist Bob Woodward detailing growing tensions between Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu.

Mr. Biden had told Mr. Netanyahu in July that “the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor,” The New York Times reported the book as saying.