Biden, Netanyahu speak ahead of expected retaliation against Iran

President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for the first time in weeks, amid heightened tensions between the leaders as Israel calibrates its expected retaliatory strike against Iran. 

The call lasted 30 minutes and was “direct” and “productive,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She added that more details of their discussion would be issued in a readout later in the day. Vice President Harris was also on the call. 

It was the first time Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone in nearly two months; their last conversation was on Aug. 21. The call came after the U.S. helped Israel down nearly 200 ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel on Oct. 1. Netanyahu reportedly postponed a trip by his defense minister and political rival, Yoav Gallant, until he spoke with Biden. 

“The U.S. and the Israeli government have been discussing, have had discussions since last week, certainly after the Iran attack, those discussions continued with the president and prime minister,” Jean-Pierre said. 

“They had a direct, productive conversation as they’ve had many times.” 

Biden last week called for Israel to respond “proportionally” and spoke out against Israel striking Iranian nuclear facilities. 

The White House has, at times, acknowledged the president’s frustration with Netanyahu over some of Israel’s military operations in the past year, after launching a war on Hamas in response to its attack against the country on Oct. 7, in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. 

In reported excerpts from the book "War" by acclaimed journalist Bob Woodward, Biden referred to Netanyahu as a “son of a bitch,” a “bad guy,” and used other profanities to express frustration as Israel ramped up its operations in the Gaza Strip, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed. 

Jean-Pierre said the administration is “working our way back towards a cease-fire process” between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to allow the release of the remaining hostages. 

Israel has been carrying out air and ground assaults in Lebanon after decapitating much of the U.S.-designated terrorist group's leadership, which has frustrated efforts to advance peace talks in both conflicts.