United States President Joe Biden has expressed optimism about preventing an all-out war between Israel and Iran, but he sounded less confident about the prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza soon.
Speaking to reporters in Berlin on Friday, where he met with the leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, Biden assessed the efforts to end the multi-arena conflict in the Middle East.
“There’s an opportunity in my view – and my colleagues agree – that we can probably deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while. In other words, it stops the back and forth,” Biden said.
Biden’s latest comments signal a possible shift in the US stance. Last week, the State Department suggested that it is no longer seeking a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, saying that the Lebanese group is “on the back foot” after the assassination of several of its leaders.
Israel is widely believed to be readying a strike against Iran in response to the attack that Tehran launched at Israeli military targets on October 1.
Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Beirut.
In a previous round of attacks, Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel earlier this year in response to the bombing of an Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed seven people.
Asked on Friday whether he understands how and when Israel will respond, Biden said: “Yes and yes.” Pressed for further details, he added: “No and no.”
Political risks for Biden
The US president had previously suggested that Washington opposes an Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear or oil facilities.
A military attack on Iran’s oil sector could send global prices soaring and prove costly for American consumers, which could harm the election chances of the Democratic presidential candidate, Biden’s current vice president, Kamala Harris.
Iran has vowed to reply forcefully to any Israeli attack.
It is unclear how the US and its European allies are planning to prevent a spiralling escalation of the direct violence between Iran and Israel.
Gaza ceasefire?
Biden has repeatedly vowed to continue to arm Israel regardless of its policies, including ongoing concerns over well-documented atrocities in Gaza.
On Friday, the US president signalled that a ceasefire in Gaza is not imminent after the killing of Hamas leader