Israel asked the United States to intervene to prevent Iran from responding to the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. According to an article published by the "Axios" website, President Biden issued a statement saying that he asked the Secretary of Defense to "continue to strengthen the defensive posture of US forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a wider regional war." The statement added that the goal of the United States is to "defuse the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means," referring to the negotiations to reach an agreement to release hostages held by Hamas and to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and an agreement to return people to their homes on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border. In a brief response to a journalist's question, the White House announced that "the time has come for a ceasefire." Additionally, Joe Biden held a phone call with his Vice President Kamala Harris and her national security team to ge t an update on the situation in the Middle East, review the US military force posture in the region, and lead ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions. This Israeli request for US protection comes after Benjamin Netanyahu's last-minute reversal of a US-French proposal for a 21-day truce in Lebanon. Source: National Iraqi News Agency