Biden says admin is 'closer than we've ever been' to cease-fire deal in Middle East

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US Navy moves more firepower to Middle East as Israel braces for Iranian assault

Fox News national correspondent Jeff Paul discusses an anticipated Iranian attack on Israel on 'Special Report.'

President Biden claims a cease-fire deal in the Middle East is closer than ever.

Biden made the surprise announcement after signing a proclamation establishing a national monument in memorial of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot — a live event to which he arrived noticeably late.

"One of the reasons I was late for y'all is because I was dealing with the cease-fire effort in the Middle East," Biden told the guests and reporters inside the Oval Office. "And we are closer than we've ever been."

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President Biden says that a cease-fire deal in the Middle East is closer than ever. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

"I don't want to jinx anything. But as my grandfather said — by the grace of God and with a lot of luck, we might have something," he continued. "But we're not there yet. We're much, much closer than we were three days ago."

A senior Iranian security official has warned that Iran will attack Israel if its talks with Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza fall apart, a report says. 

HAMAS REFUSES TO ATTEND GAZA CEASE-FIRE TALKS AS BIDEN SAYS IT'S 'STILL POSSIBLE' TO REACH DEAL

Iranians burn a representation of the Israeli flag during the funeral ceremony of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard, who were killed in an assassination blamed on Israel, at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Square in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

The official, speaking to Reuters, said Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, would also launch a direct attack on the Jewish State if it believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is dragging out negotiations with the Palestinian terrorist group. 

Only Israel and Hamas reaching a cease-fire deal would hold Iran back from a direct strike against Israel in the wake of the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, three senior Iranian officials told Reuters, but the news agency notes that the sources did not say how long Iran would let the talks progress before deciding to take any action. 

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President Biden told guests and reporters that he was late to Friday's event because his administration is "closer than we've ever been" to a cease-fire deal in the Middle East. (Andrew Caballero-ReymoldsAFP via Getty Images)

Hamas said Sunday that it would not participate in new negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza this week unless mediators present a plan based on previous talks. Talks are expected to resume next week. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.