"If the [Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu government decides
to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is
their sovereign right to do that," Biden said in a television interview from
Baghdad on July 5. "That is not our choice."
Biden said the administration, despite bloody clashes between Iranian
security forces and students, would continue efforts to reconcile with
Teheran. He said the White House has submitted a formal offer to Iran.
"If the Iranians respond to the offer of engagement, we will engage,"
Biden said. "The offer's on the table."
Officials said it was not clear whether Biden's remarks reflected a
change in administration policy toward Israel. Over the last year, they
said, the White House has relayed several warnings to Israel not to prepare
an attack on Teheran.
Over the last few months, Israel has urged Washington and other NATO
allies to draft new and harsh sanctions meant to endanger the regime in
Teheran. Officials said the White House has refused to discuss additional
sanctions on Iran.
Biden's remarks came in wake of a report in the London-based Sunday
Times that Israel has received permission for its fighter-jets to use Saudi
Arabia's air space in any strike on Iran. The newspaper said the Saudi
agreement came amid secret talks between Riyad and Mossad director Meir
Dagan in 2009.
Israel has denied the report. A statement from Netanyahu's office termed
the report baseless.
"The Sunday Times report is fundamentally false and completely
baseless," the Israeli government statement said.
Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff,
said the military has been concerned over any strike on Iran. Mullen said he
has been in regular consultation with Israel's military chief of staff.
"I worry about it being very destabilizing not just in and of itself but
the unintended consequences of a strike like that," Mullen said. "It's
something I'm engaged with my Israeli counterpart on regularly. But these
are really political decisions that have to be made with respect to where
the United States is."
