​The United States fears an escalating war between Israel and Hamas and the prospect of direct Iranian intervention, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS News on Sunday.

He admitted that there is a possibility of opening a new front of hostilities on the border between Israel and Lebanon. “We cannot rule out the possibility that Iran will choose direct intervention one way or another. We have to be ready for any situation,” Jake Sullivan said.

Iran is a long-time supporter of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, providing them with funding and weapons.

“It’s a risk, and it’s a risk we’ve been aware of from the beginning,” Sullivan said, commenting on the prospect of Iran’s involvement in the war.

“That’s why the president acted so quickly and decisively to send an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean, to send aircraft to the Persian Gulf, because it sent a very clear message to any state or any actor that would try to take advantage of this situation.” – explained Sullivan.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of the second aircraft carrier on Saturday “to deter hostile actions against Israel or any attempt to expand this war following the October 7 attack by Hamas.” In the eastern Mediterranean, the USS Eisenhower and escort ships will join the USS Gerald R. Ford, which was dispatched after the attack that killed 1,300 Israelis.

Sullivan acknowledged that the US is concerned that Iran could operate through proxies such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which he said has significant military capabilities and a history of attacking the state of Israel. “In recent days, we have witnessed incidents on the northern border, which only increases the risk of escalation,” Sullivan commented.

Asked whether there were diplomatic contacts with Iran at the moment, the national security adviser clarified: “We have a means of private communication with Iran. And we have used those means in the last few days to privately clarify what we spoke publicly”.