Israel considers Iran an existential threat and has struggled with previous U.S. administrations over how to treat the regime, which doesn't recognize it. Netanyahu actively opposed President Barack Obama's 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which Donald Trump withdrew from.
The U.S. and Israel have killed key commanders working with proxy forces in the region and nuclear scientists at home to damage Iran's military.
The senior administration official said the White House believes the Israelis aren't seeking a bigger battle or direct war with Iran, given their resources in Gaza.
“There’s this urgency to act, and that’s what happened in Damascus,” the person said of the April 1 consular building strike that killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps generals and five officers. The official said it's the same frustration U.S. officials have with Israel's Gaza policy.
London School of Economics professor of international affairs and Middle Eastern politics Fawaz Gerges challenged Biden's capacity to influence Israel's military decisions.
“The Biden strategy failed miserably. Biden is lulling the U.S. into another disastrous Middle East war. He failed to prevent the Gaza war from spreading to neighboring countries, Gerges claimed. “Biden has failed to influence Netanyahu’s Gaza or Iran decisions.”
Bagheri, Iran's military chief of staff, said, “if Israel attacks our interests we will respond with force and our next operation will be much bigger.”
The Middle East appears to be falling into a regional war, according to London School of Economics' Gerges. Israel is in charge for now. What Israel does next will determine whether the area deescalates or escalates militarily.
Follow for more updates