President Joe Biden said he did not believe there is going to be an “all-out war” in the Middle East, a region that has been on edge amid Israel’s assaults in Gaza and Lebanon and the escalation of the US ally’s tensions with Iran, Reuters reports.

The president said that such a war could be avoided but more needed to be done to ensure that.

Asked how confident he was that such a war can be averted, he paused and told reporters: “How confident are you it’s not going to rain? Look, I don’t believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it.”

He added: “But there is a lot to do yet, a lot to do yet.”

When asked if he would send American troops to help Israel, he responded: “We have already helped Israel. We are going to protect Israel.”