The officials indicated that while Israel has not yet fully committed to a ground operation, it is prepared for one.

If a ground operation does occur, its scope is likely to be limited, as simply decapitating Hezbollah may not achieve Israel’s alleged goal of allowing displaced Israelis to return home, they added.

Moreover, the officials admitted that the US received a "few minutes notice" at best before the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.

In response to the reports that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin blew up when Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed him about the assassination of Nasrallah, the officials acknowledged that "we bear a lot of risks" in the region and their people were not adequately prepared for possible hostile responses to the assassination, which did not please the US officials.

Additionally, two Israeli and US officials told Axios that Israel has requested Washington to take steps to deter Iran from retaliating against it in response to Nasrallah’s killing.

This request follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to ignore a US push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, launching a significant attack without prior consultation despite US calls for de-escalation.

"It is frustrating that the Israelis are doing this without consulting us and then ask that we clean up when it comes to deterring Iran," one US official told Axios.

Another US official said the Biden administration does not see how Israel's "whack-a-mole" approach will address the larger strategic picture.

Joe Biden’s administration has stressed that the US had no prior knowledge of the attack that killed Nasrallah.

However, they have not criticized it, instead affirming Israel's right to self-defence.

On Saturday, Biden referred to the Israeli strike that killed Nasrallah as a "measure of justice," stating that Washington fully supports Tel Aviv.

In a statement released by the White House, Biden announced that he directed the secretary of defence to enhance the defence posture of US military forces in the Middle East to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.