President Joe Biden will return to Washington on Saturday afternoon to consult with his national security team amid growing fears that Iran could launch an attack against Israel.
It comes after the US President said that he expects an Iranian strike on the country “sooner, rather than later”.
Mr Biden cut his weekend trip to Delaware early, the White House said Saturday, to discuss events in the Middle East.
Tehran has vowed to retaliate for Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy compound last week that killed a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s overseas Quds force and six other officers.
Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, but Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel “must and shall be” for an operation that he claimed amounted to an attack on Iranian soil.
On Friday, Mr Biden reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to protecting Israel from an Iranian attack.
“We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said.
Countries including India, France, Poland and Russia have warned their citizens against travel to the region, already on edge over the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the reportedly imminent attack by Iran on Israel was a real and viable threat but gave no details about any possible timing.
He added that the US was watching the situation very closely.
The Israeli military said it had not issued fresh instructions to civilians, but asked people to remain vigilant.
“Over the past day, the military has conducted a situational assessment and approved plans for a range of scenarios following reports and statements on an Iranian attack,” chief military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement on Friday.
The US rushed warships into position to protect Israel and American forces in the region on Friday, hoping to head off a direct attack from Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Iran’s special forces on Saturday seized a commercial ship with links to Israel, the vessel’s management said.
The MSC Aries, which is linked to Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, said in a statement that it was boarded by the third party while off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
