US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have inched closer to an agreement regarding Israel's planned retaliation against Iran following their call on Wednesday, three US and Israeli officials told Axios on Thursday.
The Biden administration recognizes that Israel is preparing for a significant attack on Iran, but is concerned that targeting certain sites could lead to a sharp escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that Israel's current plans are still somewhat more aggressive than what the White House prefers.
However, a US official noted that "we are moving in the right direction" after the Biden-Netanyahu conversation, and another US official added that the administration felt slightly less anxious about Israel's plans after the call.
According to the senior Israeli official, the differences between the US and Israel regarding the nature and scale of the operation have narrowed.
US officials revealed to Axios that the Biden-Netanyahu call marked the culmination of nearly two weeks of discussions between the US administration and the Israeli government, following Iran's launch last week of approximately 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted.
Israeli officials stated that Israel's Security Cabinet convened on Thursday night for a briefing on the planned attack against Iran and the agreements with the US administration.
The Security Cabinet is expected to give Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant the authority to decide the timing of the strike.
US and Israeli officials told Axios that consultations between the two countries over Israel’s planned retaliation against Iran continued on Thursday and will persist in the coming days.