As Iran attacks Israel, Biden confronts an escalating Middle East crisis he had hoped to avoid – By Kevin Liptak and MJ Lee (CNN) / April 14, 2024
(CNN) – For President Joe Biden, an attack on Israel launched from Iranian soil amounts to a scenario he’d greatly sought to avoid since the start of the current Middle East conflict.
The reprisals heighten the risk of a wider regional conflict that could directly draw in the United States, along with other countries.
And they place Biden — again — in the tenuous position of pledging stalwart support for Israel while also trying to prevent a new conflagration from exploding with the United States involved.
What comes next is unknown. In the immediate aftermath of Iran’s attacks, American officials acknowledged they were entering uncharted territory. One significant question mark is how proxies might potentially join Iranian efforts to target Israel and add a new layer of unpredictability. And with Israel’s plans for a response still being formed, Biden administration officials are expected to continue advising their Israeli counterparts – with the desire for containment in mind.
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