Pentagon confirms Israel defense chief Gallant's Washington visit postponed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nixed his defense chief's trip as Washington looks for leverage to restrain an Israeli retaliation against Iran that Biden administration officials fear could escalate into a regional war.
WASHINGTON — Israel's Defense Ministry confirmed to the Pentagon on Tuesday that a planned visit by defense chief Yoav Gallant had been postponed, but no new date has been set.
Biden administration officials led by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were scheduled to host Gallant at the Pentagon on Wednesday as Washington seeks answers about what kind of retaliation Israeli leaders plan to carry out against Iran for its Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack.
The US president has advised against Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites amid concerns in the Pentagon that an overly strong response from Israel could put American troops in the region — and potentially the countries that host them — in the crosshairs of Iran and its proxies' ballistic missiles and drones.
That could potentially lead to further escalation culminating in a regional war, which would seriously complicate any potential return to negotiations between the United States and Iran over a diplomatic resolution to limit the latter's uranium enrichment and prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
