Middle Eastern nations are bracing for the potential widening of the Israel-Hamas war amid threats by Iran to avenge the killing of Hamas’ political leader in Tehran last week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of the head of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday. The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that “blood vengeance” for the killing is “certain.”
Both Tehran and Hamas blame Israel for the killing but Israel hasn’t confirmed or denied involvement.
Hundreds of Lebanese prepared to flee the country as nations called on their citizens to leave Lebanon. The US embassy in Beirut on Saturday encouraged citizens who wish to depart “to book any ticket” as several airlines suspended or canceled flights to the country. In Israel, the government evaluated its preparedness and options should Iran and its regional proxies attack, while citizens stocked up on supplies in anticipation of an Iranian assault.
This week’s events could determine the course of the war in Gaza and significantly shift the focus away from the besieged enclave if retaliation by Iran escalates into a wider regional conflict involving the United States and other nations. Such escalation could also jeopardize efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and release hostages, despite recent progress in negotiations.
Iran and Israel exchanged direct fire for the first time in April after a decades-long shadow war during which the two sides avoided striking each other’s territory. Iran launched 300 projectiles at Israel on April 13, accusing it of attacking its diplomatic building in Syria earlier that month. Israel responded with a limited strike on Iran. While the unprecedented exchange was contained at the time, another round of fighting may be harder to keep from escalating.
The US has boosted its preparedness to defend Israel in case of another Iranian attack. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed comprehensive security strategies to protect Israel, according to a statement on Monday. The discussions included detailed scenarios outlining both defensive and offensive capabilities. And Michael Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, is in the Middle East, according to a US defense official, who would not say what country Kurilla was in or whatever other countries he would be visiting.
In a last-ditch effort at diplomacy, regional countries have reached out to Iran to try to calm tensions. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi flew to Tehran on Sunday, a rare trip for a top official from the US-allied monarchy. Separately, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatti called Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani to discuss the “unprecedented and very dangerous” regional escalation, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.
But Iranian officials are not relenting. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Safadi that Haniyeh’s assassination was a “major mistake by the Zionist regime (Israel) that will not go unanswered,” according to Iranian state TV. In a weekly news conference in Tehran, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that the country is determined to deter Israel and that “no one should doubt” its resolve in doing so.
Israel could also face an attack from its northern front. Israel assassinated Fu’ad Shukr, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, last week in response to the killing of 12 children with a rocket on the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Shukr’s killing “crossed red lines” and will be met with an “inevitable” response, hinting at coordination with other regional groups.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran “and its minions” on Sunday that his country was determined to “stand against them on every front and in every arena – far and near.”
“Anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price,” Netanyahu said during a speech in Jerusalem. He reiterated his assertion that increasing military pressure on Hamas was the only way to achieve the goals of the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home.
