US President Joe Biden met his senior national security team on Monday as concerns of a possible Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel grew.
Mr Biden said he had been briefed on preparations to support Israel should it be attacked, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said officials were working “around the clock” to prevent an escalation.
Tensions have risen over the last week following the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh, for which Iran has blamed Israel and vowed “severe” retaliation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Numerous countries, including the US and UK, have also told their citizens to leave Lebanon, from where it is feared Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political movement, could play a role in any response.
During Monday’s briefing, Mr Biden was told the timing and nature of an Iranian attack remained unclear, according to US news site Axios. A day earlier, Mr Blinken reportedly told his G7 counterparts that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours.
In a statement released after the briefing, Mr Biden said: “We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again.”
He added that steps were being taken to respond to attacks on US forces “in a manner and place of our choosing”. On Monday, several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack on a US military base in western Iraq.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Mr Blinken said officials were “engaged in intense diplomacy pretty much around the clock with a very simple message: All parties must refrain from escalation”.
“Escalation is not in anyone’s interests. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity,” he said.
He added that a ceasefire would “unlock possibilities for more enduring calm not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict can spread”.
“It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Mr Biden spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan about “efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal”, a statement from the White House said.
A joint statement from the G7 also expressed “deep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region”.
“No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East,” it said.
