How 2 Offhand Remarks by Biden Caused Waves in the Markets and the Middle East

The president’s casual disclosures underscored the power of his words — and how quickly they travel.

With the Middle East on the brink of all-out war on Thursday, people around the world were wondering when Israel might retaliate against Iran and what the targets might be.

So President Biden told them.

Well, not entirely. But with two offhand responses to questions from reporters, the American president offered an unusual glimpse into the targeting and timing of a military attack being prepared by an ally.

First, Mr. Biden said that the United States was “in discussion” about the possibility that Israel might strike Iran’s vast oil fields, a move that would dramatically escalate the conflict. He seemed to indicate some concern about that military option, saying that “I think that would be a little — ” but quickly stopped himself midsentence and said, “Anyway.”

Responding to another question about possible Israeli attacks on Iran, he said: “There’s nothing going to happen today. We’ll talk about that later.”

It was a moment that underscored the power of the presidency — or at least the power of a president’s words. It has always been the case that everything the Oval Office occupant says is transcribed and parsed as it bounces around the world. But now it does so at the speed of social media, and there is nowhere to hide.

Both of Mr. Biden’s comments on Thursday quickly became headlines in Israel because leaders there have so far remained vague about where and when they might be striking Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that “we will stand by the rule we established: Whoever attacks, we will attack them.”

Mr. Netanyahu has also added that Iran’s decision to fire more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel this week was “a big mistake” and that Iran “will pay for it.” But he has avoided offering any specifics.

The response to Mr. Biden’s surprising bout of clarity?

Oil prices rose more than 4 percent on Thursday, reflecting a queasiness among investors that a broader war in the Middle East could disrupt oil supplies.

It is far from certain that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s oil-producing capabilities. But even the hint of it from Mr. Biden was enough to send a jolt of concern around the world.

The president’s comment about the timing of a possible strike was not a great surprise. Military experts had predicted Israel would not attack Iran until after the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, which started at sundown on Wednesday and continues through most of Friday.

But Mr. Biden is among the people who might actually know the answer to that question. So to hear him casually tell everyone what he knows was striking.

The disclosures on Thursday were nowhere near top secret, and Mr. Biden is not the only president who has blurted out information that his aides or others might have preferred he keep to himself. (Former President Donald J. Trump, for example, has been known to post confidential information on social media.)

Mr. Biden, who has only a few months left in his presidency, has a long history of making off-the-cuff comments — and sometimes they get him into trouble. In a speech in Warsaw in 2022, he ad-libbed his thoughts about President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The comment immediately triggered concerns about whether the United States was calling for his ouster. His aides spent hours arguing that he had simply misspoken.

On Thursday, White House officials declined to comment about Mr. Biden’s latest comments to a group of reporters who had gathered at the White House to observe his departure on Marine One.

With the engine of the helicopter roaring just feet away, Mr. Biden took a few questions, including one on the recent vice-presidential debate and another on whether he planned to talk to Mr. Putin at an upcoming summit.

He was also asked about the possibility that the United States might find other ways to punish Iran for the missile attack.

“What kind of sanctions are you considering on Iran?” a reporter asked. “What kind of sanctions are you considering?”

In that instance, at least, Mr. Biden thought better of revealing much.

“I’ll tell them before I tell you,” he said.

Inside the Biden Administration

Here’s the latest news and analysis from Washington.

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• Adversaries’ Military Ties: The Biden administration is struggling to halt cooperation among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. It feels urgency over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East while also aiming to protect Taiwan.
•  Expanded Asylum Restrictions: Biden expanded the restrictions on asylum that have led to a dramatic drop in illegal crossings into the United States, a move that ensures the crackdown at the southern border will stay in effect for the foreseeable future.
• Medicare Drug Premiums: Federal regulators spent billions of dollars so that older Americans would face lower average monthly premiums for their prescription drugs. The move could help to avoid political damage to Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
• Executive Orders on Gun Safety: The president used a White House ceremony to pass the baton to Kamala Harris, who has made gun safety an issue in her campaign.