US President Joe Biden said on Thursday night that the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this week was not helpful for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Biden made the comments to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, where he met the detainees who were released by Russia as part of a prisoner swap deal.
Referencing his conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the evening, the President said he had “a direct conversation” with Netanyahu and that he had urged him to quickly reach a deal for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Biden added that he is “very concerned” about the tensions in the Middle East.
The White House had earlier released a statement summarizing the Biden-Netanyahu call in which it said, "The President reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.”
“The President discussed efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive US military deployments. Together with this commitment to Israel’s defense, the President stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region,” added the statement, which noted that “Vice President Harris also joined the call.”
The conversation followed the elimination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, which Israel claimed responsibility for, and the elimination of Haniyeh in Tehran, which Hamas and Iran have blamed on Israel. Israeli officials have not commented on Haniyeh’s elimination.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered his country to launch a direct strike on Israel as retaliation for the elimination of Haniyeh.
Meanwhile on Thursday, US officials told CNN that the US is expecting that an Iranian attack in retaliation for the elimination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh may be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones launched against Israel on April 13.
The officials said that this time the attack could be larger and more complicated than before, including the possibility of a coordinated attack with Iranian proxies from multiple directions.
The report also said that the US also estimates that this time there is a greater concern that US military bases in the area will be among the targets of the attack.