The US, along with the Middle East, has been on edge awaiting Israel’s response to the roughly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Tehran last week, and has been trying to dissuade it from mounting a response that it would view as disproportionate.
But despite its efforts to play a role in tempering Israel’s approach, including by urging it to avoid striking oil facilities or nuclear sites, the US has found itself in the dark, with Jerusalem declining to share any details of its plans with its ally, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
This has compounded growing frustration in Washington, US officials with knowledge on the matter said, which has found itself blindsided by actions Israel has taken against the Hezbollah terror group in recent weeks, including the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The lack of communication led to a blunt exchange between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant when Gallant phoned his counterpart on September 27 to inform him of the strike on Nasrallah after the fact. READ MORE
