United States President Joe Biden will discuss tensions in the Middle East with his national security team on Monday, as well as talk with Jordan's King Abdullah II about the situation in the region.
The talks come as Israeli leaders warn of dire consequences if attacked, amid concerns about actions Iran or groups it supports in the region could take.
Yesterday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi visited Iran, where he called for an end to the escalation of tensions so that the region can live in “peace, security and stability”.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Sunday with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, reiterating “ironclad US support for Israel's security and its right to self-defense in the face of threats from Iran” and supported groups from him as Hezbollah based in Lebanon and Houthi based in Yemen.
“They discussed the movement of US forces that the Department of Defense is undertaking to strengthen the protection of US troops, to support the defense of Israel, and to prevent and mitigate the escalation of tensions in the region,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
“The overall objective is to lower the temperature in the region, deter and defend against attacks and avoid regional conflict,” Jonathan Finer, deputy White House national security adviser, said in an interview with CBS television on Sunday.
The United States and Israel are preparing for every possible scenario, Mr. Finer added.
The developments follow last week's Israeli airstrike in Beirut that killed a Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shukur, and the killing hours later of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Iran blamed on Israel.
France warned of a “very volatile” situation, while the United States, France, Canada, Jordan and Britain urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. Several airlines suspended or restricted travel to the region.
After Haniyeh's assassination last week in Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement: “It is our duty to take revenge.”
White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby said Sunday in an interview with Fox News that “when the supreme leader says he's going to retaliate, we have to take that seriously. We have to be ready.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel is prepared for any scenario.
“The State of Israel is in a war on many fronts against the axis of evil, which is led by Iran. We hit each of his arms hard. We are prepared for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. Any act of aggression against us, from any front, will receive a strong blow”, he emphasized.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the urgent need to defuse tensions in the Middle East with G7 foreign ministers on Sunday. A State Department spokesman said Mr. Blinken and his counterparts “reiterated the commitment to Israel's security and called for maximum restraint from all parties to prevent an escalation of the conflict.”
Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was the group's main negotiator in efforts to reach an agreement on a ceasefire that have so far been unsuccessful. His killing raised questions about the chances of a ceasefire and exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
