Key Takeaways
- Israeli opposition leader Lapid calls on government to strike Iranian oil fields in a retaliatory strike.
- Lapid suggests targeting Iran’s oil fields to impact Tehran’s economy.
- A retaliatory strike could harm the US economy in the final weeks before the presidential election.
Jerusalem: Israeli parliamentary opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on the government to target Iran’s oil fields in a retaliatory strike, as it would have a negative impact on Tehran’s economy.
On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Joe Biden’s administration that he was ready to strike Iran’s military facilities, rather than oil or nuclear ones.
“We should start with the oil fields,” Lapid told The Jerusalem Post newspaper on Tuesday.
The newspaper recalled that the United States is concerned that such a strike would impact global oil prices, which could harm the US economy in the critical final weeks before the presidential election in November.
“I’m in disagreement with the American administration. I don’t think it will raise significantly the oil prices in the world five minutes before an election,” Lapid said, adding that it is possible to negotiate increased oil production with other producing countries such as Saudi Arabia.
On October 1, Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel, calling it an act of self-defense. The Israeli military said about 180 ballistic missiles were fired, most of which were intercepted.
