Biden says Israel should have 'proportional' Iran response and avoid nuclear sites
FOX NEWS -- A "painful" Israeli response weighs over the heads of the Iranian regime after their ballistic missile attacks on Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden has insisted that an angry Israel should not strike Iran’s nuclear sites – and should make sure its response is measured – proportional.
"Iran launched a war into Israel," said former deputy director of national intelligence Kash Patel.
"So to say that the Israelis who are defending themselves and our hostages shouldn't attack sites in Iran that could kill them – especially when you're the one who gave Iran $7 billion as a commander in chief and then allowed them to acquire nuclear materials – is wildly political."
On Thursday, he revealed that he was "discussing" recommending Israel target Iran’s energy facilities.
"That put the oil markets into a tailspin, even if we are talking to them about it. It's not something you muse about publicly," said former Trump deputy national security advisor Victoria Coates.
"If you've made a decision, and you have something to announce, fine. You want to level with the American people as much as you can. These random comments are really damaging and confusing to the Iranians, because . . . they don't have any guidelines or guardrails about what might be coming and so they might do something weird."
Israel's counterattack could come at any moment. "We will act. Iran will soon feel the consequences of their actions. The response will be painful," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters.
Rather than its longtime goal of helping to negotiate a ceasefire, the Biden administration has now shifted its priority to containment – helping the region avoid all-out war between its two hegemonic superpowers.
"This is the 1930s all over again. G7 leaders – led by President Biden – are urging Israel to have a proportional and limited response against the Iranian regime," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.
"The idea of telling Israel what targets to strike ignores reality," he went on. "Would a proportional response be launching 200 ballistic missiles from Israel into Iran, mimicking what the Iranians did to Israel?"