US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could deter Iran from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, AFP reports.

"That's my expectation," Biden told reporters when asked if a truce between Israel and Hamas could stave off an Iranian assault, and added that while negotiations were "getting hard," he was "not giving up."

But Biden also warned that achieving a ceasefire deal was “getting harder,” while expressing his resolve at securing an end to the hostilities, reports The Times of Israel.

“We’ll see what Iran does and we’ll see what happens if there is any attack. But I’m not giving up,” the US president said.