US President Joe Biden held crisis talks with his national security team on Monday as fears grew that an Iranian counterattack on Israel could spark an all-out war in the Middle East.
Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in frantic diplomacy to try to ease tensions sparked by a suspected Israeli attack that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The 81-year-old Biden flew back to the White House from a weekend in Wilmington, Delaware, and after a kiss for First Lady Jill Biden, he headed straight into the Oval Office without commenting to reporters.
The meeting in the heavily-secured situation room with officials including Vice President Kamala Harris would “discuss developments in the Middle East,” the White House said.
Earlier, Biden called King Abdullah II of Jordan while Blinken called the prime minister of Qatar and foreign minister of Egypt, the two key players in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
“It’s important that all parties take steps over the coming days to refrain from escalation and calm tensions,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, describing Blinken’s calls with officials in the region.
Biden and the Jordanian king meanwhile “discussed their efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
Hopes of a ceasefire between key US ally Israel and Hamas in Gaza have suffered a major blow with the assassination of Haniyeh and the killing of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut hours earlier.
