WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden can breathe a bit easier, at least for the moment, now that Israel and Iran appear to have stepped back from the brink of tipping the Middle East into all-out war.

Israels retaliatory strikes on Iran and Syria caused limited damage. The restrained action came after Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government to temper its response to Irans unprecedented direct attack on Israel last week and avoid an escalation of violence in the region. Irans barrage of drones and missiles inflicted little damage and followed a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus this month that killed two generals.

Irans public response to the Israeli strikes Friday also was muted, raising hopes that Israel-Iran tensions long carried out in the shadows with cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage will stay at a simmer.

The situation remains a delicate one for Biden as he gears up his reelection effort i n the face of headwinds in the Middle East, Russia and the Indo-Pacific. All are testing the proposition he made to voters during his 2020 campaign that a Biden White House would bring a measure of calm and renewed respect for the United States on the world stage.