Israel abandoned the option of launching a retaliatory strike on Iranian territory following a phone call Saturday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing officials in Jerusalem.
According to the newspaper, the decision was made in part because the Iranian drone and missile attacks “caused relatively minor damage.”
Biden reportedly told Netanyahu during the call that his administration would not support offensive action against the regime in Tehran.
The Islamic Republic fired more than 300 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from its territory towards Israel overnight Saturday, in what Tehran says was retaliation for the April 1 killing of several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers in Syria by Israel.
A 7-year-old Israeli Bedouin girl wounded in the attack underwent surgery Sunday for a serious head wound and remains in critical condition, according to the Jewish News Syndicate, which reviewed The Times story that is behind a paywall.
Israel’s War Cabinet was set to convene on Sunday to discuss the country’s response to the Iranian attack, amid calls by coalition members to restore deterrence vis-à-vis Tehran.
