If the White House is not strong enough in its response, experts say Iran's proxies will remain undeterred and continue to carry out attacks. Too strong, and Biden risks plunging the Middle East into a deeper conflict.
Further escalation, one expert warns, 'would bring the Middle East to the precipice of a regional war', while another said they expect a 'expect a serious escalation around the corner.'
But in doing so, Biden also runs the risk of playing into the 'optimal scenario' for Vladimir Putin, whose war in Ukraine would benefit greatly from a wider conflict.
Meanwhile, one British MP warned that the escalation in the volatile region also affects the UK, saying that it could become a 'necessity' for Britain to get involved.
'It's important that the British people understand this: This is one example of many of the new era of insecurity that we've entered and that we need to prepare for,' said former Defence Select Committee chairman and soldier Tobias Ellwood.
Such concerns come amid fears that the wars in Europe and the Middle East could proliferate into something even larger, with former US president Donald Trump warning on Sunday: 'we are on the brink of World War Three'.
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