Biden speaks with Sultan of Oman

US President Joe Biden spoke with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on Friday, and the two leaders discussed "the importance of protecting civilians, consistent with international humanitarian law, as Israel responds to Hamas’s heinous terrorist attack", according to a White House readout.

Biden and Sultan Haitham also "emphasized the importance of deterring threats from any state or non-state actor seeking to expand the conflict".

Iran's foreign minister on Thursday said that the expansion of the conflict is "inevitable", given the intensity of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians.