US president to return Washington amid tension in Middle East

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden will return to Washington on Saturday afternoon to consult with his team amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

"The President is returning to the White House this afternoon to consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East," the White House said.

Biden cut short his weekend trip to Delaware, it added.

Israel is on high alert amid Iran's public vow to attack Israeli targets in retaliation for the April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic facility in the Syrian capital Damascus. The strike killed at least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two top generals.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but it has for months carried out a number of strikes against Iranian targets across Syria.

Both Iran and Hezbollah, its main ally in Lebanon, have said that the attack will not go unpunished.

"Don't," US President Joe Biden on Friday said is his message to Tehran.

"We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he told reporters.

Asked by a reporter how imminent an Iranian attack is, Biden said his expectation is "sooner than later."