While Biden warns Israel against escalation, Trump suggests striking Iran nuclear facilities

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Fayetteville, N.C. (AP)
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  • 鈥淚f I were in their (Israelis) shoes, I鈥檇 be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,鈥� Biden said in response to a reporter's question
  • Weighing in, Trump said Biden 鈥済ot that one wrong,鈥� adding, "... the answer should have been, hit the nuclear first, and worry about the rest later.鈥�

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Friday advised Israel against striking Iran鈥檚 oil facilities, saying he was trying to rally the world to avoid the escalating prospect of all-out war in the Middle East.
But his predecessor Donald Trump, currently campaigning for another term in power, went so far as to suggest Israel should 鈥渉it鈥� the Islamic republic鈥檚 nuclear sites.
Making a surprise first appearance in the White House briefing room, Biden said that Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 鈥渟hould remember鈥� US support for Israel when deciding on next steps.
鈥淚f I were in their shoes, I鈥檇 be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,鈥� Biden told reporters, when asked about his comments a day earlier that Washington was discussing the possibility of such strikes with its ally.
Biden added that the Israelis 鈥渉ave not concluded how they鈥檙e, what they鈥檙e going to do鈥� in retaliation for a huge ballistic missile attack by Iran on Israel on Tuesday.
The price of oil had jumped after Biden鈥檚 remarks Thursday.
Any long-term rise could be damaging for US Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat confronts Republican Trump in a November 5 election where the cost of living is a major issue.
Meanwhile Trump, campaigning in North Carolina, offered a far more provocative view of what he thinks a response to Iran should be, referencing a question posed to Biden this week about the possibility of Israel targeting Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.
鈥淭hey asked him, 鈥榳hat do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran?鈥� And he goes, 鈥楢s long as they don鈥檛 hit the nuclear stuff.鈥� That鈥檚 the thing you want to hit, right?鈥� Trump told a town hall style event in Fayetteville, near a major US military base.
Biden 鈥済ot that one wrong,鈥� Trump said.
鈥淲hen they asked him that question, the answer should have been, hit the nuclear first, and worry about the rest later,鈥� Trump added.
Trump has spoken little about the recent escalation in tensions in the Middle East. But he issued a scathing statement this week, holding Biden and Harris responsible for the crisis.

Biden鈥檚 appearance at the famed briefing room podium was not announced in advance, taking reporters by surprise.
It comes at a tense time as he prepares to leave office with the Mideast situation boiling over and political criticism at home over his handling of a recent hurricane that struck the US southeast.
Biden said he was doing his best to avoid a full-scale conflagration in the Middle East, where Israel is bombing Lebanon in a bid to wipe out the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.
鈥淭he main thing we can do is try to rally the rest of the world and our allies into participating... to tamp this down,鈥� he told reporters.
鈥淏ut when you have (Iranian) proxies as irrational as Hezbollah and the Houthis (of Yemen)... it鈥檚 a hard thing to determine.鈥�
Biden however had tough words for Netanyahu, with whom he has had rocky relations as he seeks to manage Israel鈥檚 response following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The Israeli premier has repeatedly ignored Biden鈥檚 calls for restraint on Lebanon, and on Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.
Biden deflected a question on whether he believed Netanyahu was hanging back on signing a Middle East peace deal in a bid to influence the US presidential election.
鈥淣o administration has helped Israel more than I have. None, none, none. And I think Bibi should remember that,鈥� Biden said.
鈥淎nd whether he鈥檚 trying to influence the election, I don鈥檛 know, but I鈥檓 not counting on that.鈥�
Biden said he had still not spoken to Netanyahu since the Iranian attack, which involved some 200 missiles, but added their teams were in 鈥渃onstant contact.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not going to make a decision immediately, and so we鈥檙e going to wait to see when they want to talk,鈥� the US leader added.
Iran said its attack was in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israel since shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks.