Israel’s attack on Iran would hardly have been welcome news in Washington.

But the fact that it appeared calibrated to avoid an escalatory response will have Kamala Harris breathing a sigh of relief — at least for now.

Ten days before the US presidential election, a spiralling conflict in the Middle East has been temporarily averted.

Israel could have opted to damage Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities with its early morning strike, which would undoubtedly have triggered a robust response from Tehran.

But Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have heeded Joe Biden’s warnings against that course of action, instead striking weapons manufacturing facilities and missile defence sites within Iranian territory.

Mr Biden told reporters he received a “heads up from Israel” on their plans.

“It looks like they didn’t hit anything other than military targets,” the US president said after emerging from an intelligence briefing on Saturday. “My hope is this is the end.”