Biden says Gaza ceasefire could prevent Iran attack on Israel

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could deter Iran from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader that sent regional tensions soaring.

His remarks came after Iran rejected Western calls to "stand down" its threat of reprisals, AFP reported.

Tehran and its allies have blamed Israel for Ismail Haniyeh's killing on July 31 during a visit to Tehran for the swearing-in of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not commented.

Iran has vowed to avenge the death, which came hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

Asked if a truce between Israel and Hamas could stave off an Iranian assault, Biden said: "That's my expectation".

He told reporters in New Orleans that while negotiations were "getting hard" he was "not giving up".