Biden meets national security team as Mideast war fears grow

August 5, 2024 - 22:2

US President Joe Biden held crisis talks with his national security team on Monday as fears grow of an Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, AFP reported.

Biden also called Jordan's King Abdullah II as part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at preventing the situation in the Middle East from spiraling into an all-out war.

The United States has deployed extra fighter jets and warplanes to the region to support Israel, as reports suggested Iran could respond as soon as Monday to the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Biden was due to meet his national security team in the Situation Room in the White House "to discuss developments in the Middle East" after flying back from a weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, the White House said.

Biden was calling King Abdullah before leaving Wilmington, the White House said.

Iran has blamed the Haniyeh assassination on Israel, which has not directly commented on the attack, and sworn revenge. The killing came hours after an Israeli strike on Beirut left Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr dead.

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