US President Joe Biden expressed confidence that all-out war in the Middle East can be avoided amid Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian missile threats. He emphasized the need for continued efforts to prevent escalation.

President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he would not support a strike by Israel on Iranian nuclear sites in retaliation for Tuesday’s missile attack, signaling an effort to restrain Israel from responding with such force that it could trigger a wider regional war.

For the last four years, President Joe Biden has jetted off to survey damage and console Americans hit by tornadoes, wildfires and tropical storms

The president’s planned visit on Thursday follows a day in the Carolinas, where he sought to reassure the hurricane’s victims that the federal government would support recovery efforts.