The only thing that would prevent Iran from retaliating directly against Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its territory would be a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, three senior Iranian officials told Reuters.
Iran has vowed a strong response to the killing of Haniyeh, which occurred during his visit to Tehran late last month and was blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the murder.
Meanwhile, the United States (U.S.) Navy sent warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defenses.
One of the sources spoken to by Reuters, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, would launch a direct attack if talks in Gaza fail or if Israel is perceived to be stalling in the process. The sources did not say how long Iran would wait for progress in the talks before responding.
The sources, who requested anonymity, said Iran had been engaged in intense dialogue with Western countries and the U.S.in recent days about plans to retaliate amid growing risks of a wider Middle East war.
According to Reuters, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey confirmed that Washington is asking its allies to help persuade Iran to de-escalate tensions. Three regional government sources described the talks with Tehran as a way to avoid escalation ahead of Gaza ceasefire talks, which are set to begin Thursday in either Egypt or Qatar.
“We hope that our response will be timed and carried out in a way that will not harm a potential ceasefire,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations (UN) said in a statement on Friday. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that calls for restraint “contrary to the principles of international law”.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the country’s Revolutionary Guard Corps did not respond to requests for comment. There was no response either from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or the U.S. State Department.
“Something could happen as early as this week from Iran and its proxies … That’s the assessment of the U.S., as well as the assessment of Israel,” White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
“If something happens this week, the timing of that could certainly affect these talks that we want to have on Thursday,” he added.
Over the weekend, Hamas questioned whether the talks would continue. Israel and Hamas have held several rounds of talks in recent months without agreeing on a final ceasefire.
In Israel, many observers believe a response is imminent after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would “severely punish” Israel for the attack in Tehran.
