October 2, 2024

President Joe Biden and his senior aides have urged Israel to avoid direct attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities when it strikes back against Tehran — the latest sign of the limits of the U.S.’ power to prevent all but the most extreme actions by Israel.

After hundreds of Iranian rockets and missiles again rained down on Israel on Tuesday, the Biden administration is settling for limiting Israel’s response rather than discourage it entirely, according to two administration officials. Both were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

The directive illustrates the limits of Biden’s waning influence over events in the Middle East and an acknowledgment that he may be unable to stop what his administration has spent a year trying to prevent: regional war.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/02/biden-iran-israel-influence-limits-00182172