Report says Biden told Netanyahu ‘I’m out’ if Israel retaliated for Iran ballistic attack

The New York Times reports that US President Joe Biden threatened to pull support for Israel if it carried out a significant retaliation against Iran for launching hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles at the Jewish state in April.

“Let me be crystal clear… If you launch a big attack on Iran, you’re on your own,” Biden is quoted telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a call the paper describes as a “lecture” following the successfully thwarted April 18 attack.

According to the account, which quotes aides who had been in the situation room with Biden at the time, during a call Netanyahu pushed Biden hard over the need to hit Iran back and avoid looking weak.

“You do this, and I’m out,” Biden is quoted telling Netanyahu. “Take the win.”

The war room vignette is part of a larger investigation by the paper examining Biden’s mental acuity, with the exchange used to illustrate times under high pressure that the 81-year-old president appears to be on the ball. Most other accounts included in the report portray Biden as increasingly confused, frail and prone to mental gaffes.