The assassination of Hezbollah's leader triggers another delicate equilibrium task for Biden
Following the surgical operation, Biden promptly informed the masses that he had not been given any prior notice and had no involvement. This revelation was made shortly after Israel and Hezbollah verified the demise of Nasrallah, which occurred 24 hours later. In response, Biden issued a cautiously crafted announcement, describing the incident as a "measure of justice", while emphasizing his desire to promote tranquility.
This event presents a formidable challenge for Biden, given its timing, just six weeks prior to the US presidential election. Already embroiled in disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the drawn-out conflict in Gaza, Biden now finds himself attempting to manage two contentious scenarios at a juncture when his influence on Netanyahu's decision-making appears to have reached an all-time low.
A prelude to the Friday strike, Netanyahu rejected a truce proposal, sponsored by the United States and France, which called for a 21-day halt in hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border. This decision sparked outrage among American officials who had been led to believe that Netanyahu was on board.
After initiating its major operation in Beirut, Israel only disclosed its intentions to the US once it was already underway, causing frustration among certain American authorities who perceive this as repeated instances of Netanyahu disregarding Biden's public and private appeals for restraint.
Speaking to journalists in Delaware on Friday, Biden reiterated his lack of knowledge about the operation.
"We're still garnering information," the president asserted. He expressed his apprehensions, which had waxed and waned over the course of the past year but had attained their zenith, concerning the potential outbreak of a larger conflict: "I'm consistently vigilant about this," he admitted.
Despite his anxieties, it was evident that Israel had targeted an individual who was a preferred candidate for assassination by the White House.
"It's commendable," one senior administration official praised CNN upon hearing the news of Nasrallah's demise, confirmed by both the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah.
"Nobody here is mourning Nasrallah," another senior administration official added, referring to the Hezbollah leader as a "terrorist" and "murderer."
"Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands," Vice President Kamala Harris affirmed in a statement released on Saturday.
As of Saturday morning, it was still too early to predict the implications of Nasrallah's death in the region and on the imminent probability of a major escalation, one of the officials explained.
The American stance at present is to prepare for a gamut of potential retaliations, should they ensue, but the source of such reprisals remains unclear: Hezbollah, Iran, or both, they pondered.
The primary concern for the Biden administration hinges on the consequences of Nasrallah's death in the coming days and weeks, given the existing elevated risk of escalation and the looming possibility of a broader conflict.
Had the events of the recent past unfolded six months ago, the risk of a second significant war might have been even more substantial, the first senior administration official argued. However, Hezbollah has reportedly suffered significant damages, and Iran - its sponsor - has also reportedly been weakened, the official asserted.
In the past month, Israel has targeted Hezbollah's weaponry depots and significantly degraded its communications infrastructure, including strikes on pagers and walkie-talkies.
A senior US official previously conveyed to CNN that Iran might intervene in the conflict should its leaders deem that they are on the verge of losing Hezbollah, their most powerful proxy group.
As of Saturday, the US had not detected any signs of a major, sustained Iranian retaliation, according to officials, but acknowledged that it was still early.
"Ultimately, our aim is to alleviate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," Biden wrote in his statement, released on Saturday. "In Gaza, we have been working towards a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the liberation of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would facilitate the safe return of people to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon."
"It is high time for these accords to come to fruition, for the hazards confronting Israel to be alleviated, and for the Middle East region to attain greater stability," he concluded.
Biden held a conference call with Harris and their national security team on Saturday to discuss the developments in the Middle East, according to the White House.
"President Biden convened a call with Vice President Harris and their national security team to receive an update on the situation in the Middle East, assess the status of US military force posture in the region, and direct continued diplomatic efforts to coordinate with allies and partners to deescalate the ongoing conflicts," the White House announced.
In a prelude to signs of apprehensions about a quick deterioration of the situation, the State Department issued orders on Saturday for certain staff members and their families to leave Lebanon, as the conflict threatens to escalate into an all-out war.
The departure of non-emergency personnel does not signify an evacuation of the entire embassy, but it does emphasize the heightened volatility in the nation and its capital, Beirut.
The departure orders were issued only days after American officials expressed optimism about a "breakthrough" proposal they expected would halt the violence across the Israel-Lebanon border.
The optimism of American officials stemmed, in part, from their dealings with Ron Dermer, a close confidante of Netanyahu, as they drafted and revised the statement's text. Discussions on the ceasefire commenced with a conversation between Dermer and Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, on Monday.
The impression the US officials derived was that Netanyahu would support a cessation of hostilities, and they were encouraged to collaborate with French officials to finalize a statement advocating a 21-day ceasefire.
Top Biden administration officials were incensed on Thursday after Netanyahu discarded the proposal, prompting them to demand that the Israelis publish a public statement to mitigate the diplomatic embarrassment.
Passionate American high-ranking officials believed Netanyahu was responding to domestic pressure from extremist individuals within his administration. Contrariwise, Israeli authorities attributed the mix-up to a "misunderstanding."
Regardless, by the end of the week, any whispers of an imminent truce faded away as Israeli airplanes targeted Hezbollah's main hub in Beirut with bombings.
Journalist Samantha Waldenberg from CNN penned down parts of this account.
This event in the Middle East, occurring six weeks before the US presidential election, has become a significant political issue for Biden, given his tense relationship with Netanyahu and Israel's decision to carry out the operation without prior notice. The administration's focus now is on managing potential retaliations and preventing a larger conflict.
The timing of Hassan Nasrallah's demise, just before the US election, has added a political layer to this complex situation, with Biden's influence on Netanyahu's decision-making appearing to be at a low point.
