Biden convenes national security team as fears of Iran attack grow

Mr Blinken told his G7 counterparts in a call on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could launch an attack on Israel within 24 to 48 hours, according to comments cited by US news site Axios, external.

On Monday evening, Mr Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris met senior security officials to discuss the situation.

“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 said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He added that steps being taken to defend US forces and respond to any attack against its personnel “in a manner and place of our choosing” were discussed, after several US personnel were injured at a military base in Iraq on Monday.

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.

His words came after Mr Biden spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan earlier in the day. They discussed “their 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.