The two leaders consulted on a wide range of global and regional issues, including the threats posed by Iran and its proxies….reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday discussed the growing threat to Ukraine from Russia’s Iranian-supplied war drones, media reported.
Herzog told reporters at the White House after his talks that they “mainly” discussed Iran’s nuclear program, the crushing of protesters demonstrating against strict Iranian religious laws, and the issue of Tehran’s drone sales to Russia, AFP reported.
The Israeli President said the weapons are “killing innocent Ukrainian citizens.”
The two leaders consulted on a wide range of global and regional issues, including the threats posed by Iran and its proxies. The President emphasized his Administration’s pledge to ensure Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, the White House said in a statement.
They discussed the enduring strength of the US-Israel partnership, ways to further deepen cooperation between the two countries, and the United States’ unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, the statement added.
President Biden underscored his commitment to advance peace and stability in the Middle East, and highlighted U.S. support for Israel’s further regional integration into the Arab world, including through the Negev Forum process.
He also welcomed Israel’s restoration of an ambassador as part of improved diplomatic relations with Turkiye.
400 Iranian drones
Amid the escalation of war between Moscow and Kyiv, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that Russia has used nearly 400 Iranian drones against the civilian population of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media publication The Kyiv Independent.
The Ukrainian President claimed that about 400 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones were used in multiple explosions that took place in Kyiv and targeted the country’s civilian population.
“Russia has used about 400 Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones against Ukraine’s civilian population,” Zelenskyy said.
Earlier on October 17, Russia initiated a brutal attack on Ukraine with 43 drones. Later, Moscow’s forces used 28 drones to attack Kyiv that day, killing five people, The Kyiv Independent reported.
As ties continue to deepen between Tehran and Moscow as Iran continues to deny supplying weapons to Russia, the action has received widespread condemnation from across the globe.
Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions earlier on October 17 by “Kamikaze” drones and several residential buildings were damaged during the attack following which Kyiv claimed Moscow used Iranian-supplied drones in the strikes against major Ukrainian cities in recent weeks and pleaded with Western countries to step up their assistance in the face of the new challenge.
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