The US is aiming "to turn the temperature down" in the Middle East, the country's ambassador to the UN has said, as fears of an Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel loom.
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| Linda Thomas-Greenfield |
There are fears Iran could retaliate against Israel following July's assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran - something Israel has not taken responsibility for.
US President Joe Biden suggested reaching a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could help deter Iran from launching an attack on Israel.
"That's my expectation but we'll see," he said when asked by a reporter on Tuesday.
"We'll see what Iran does and we'll see what happens if there's any attack, but I'm not giving up," he said, while exiting his plane during a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana.
A new round of ceasefire talks is scheduled to take place in either Doha or Cairo on Thursday.
But Hamas official Ahmad Abdul Hadi has reportedly said Hamas will not take part in the talks, according to reports by the New York Times and Sky News.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed plans to travel to the Middle East on Tuesday to participate in negotiations on ending the war in Gaza.
International mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been pushing for a ceasefire deal that would see Israeli hostages released to their families and Palestinian civilians returned to their homes.