US seeks to “cool down” tensions in the Middle East

US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team on August 5 to discuss developments in the Middle East as Israel and Iran move closer to an escalation.

US Vice President Kamala Harris will also attend the meeting in the Situation Room. Before the meeting, Mr. Biden is expected to have a phone call with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a Cabinet meeting on August 4, said that his country was in a war on "multiple fronts" with Iran and its proxy forces.

To the north of Israel is Lebanon, where a senior Hezbollah commander was assassinated by Israel last week. To the south is the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against Hamas. And further east is Iran, where the assassination of Hamas’s top political leader came just hours after the assassination of the Hezbollah official.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are seen on May 8, 2024. Photo: Getty Images

The two assassinations – coming on the heels of a rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children – have raised the prospect of all-out war in the already volatile Middle East.

Iran's top leadership, following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, has vowed "revenge", while Israel has said it is prepared to defend itself against any retaliatory attack.

For its part, the US is trying to "cool down" the situation. Speaking in an interview with CBS on August 4, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer said: "The overall goal is to cool down the region, deter and defend against these attacks, and avoid a regional conflict."

The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group will leave the Western Pacific and move to the 5th Fleet area of ​​operations to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Pentagon said in a statement on August 2. The Roosevelt just arrived to replace the USS Gerald R. Ford in early July and has been in the region for about three weeks.

In addition, the US Department of Defense also ordered the deployment of additional cruisers and destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities to the region. These steps are believed to help protect Israel from any retaliation led by Iran.

According to Israel's Meir Amit Intelligence Information Center (ITIC), Iran and its proxies – especially Hezbollah – are expected to respond to Israel with missile and drone attacks, possibly in a coordinated manner.

Iran’s last major attack on Israel came in April and was announced well in advance. In a massive attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles, a carefully planned defense effort helped Israel avoid damage. This time, analysts say, it is unclear whether Iran provided any advance warning.

"The United States wants to be prepared if that situation happens again," said White House official Jonathan Finer.

Earlier on August 3, Mr. Biden expressed hope that Iran would "step back" from its threats of retaliatory attacks against Israel, but the US leader also admitted that he "did not know" whether the Iranians would stop.

Minh Duc (According to Maritime Executive, RTE, Washington Examiner)