Iranian retaliation over Haniyeh killing could be scrapped if Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire deal

Israel continues to wait for Hezbollah and Iranian response to high-level killings

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Iranian officials have reportedly said that only a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel could prevent the country from launching a retaliatory strike on Israel.

Iran vowed to issue a severe response to Israel, which it blames for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh was visiting Tehran for the inauguration of the newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Reuters reported that three senior Iranian officials said the country would consider abandoning its retaliatory strike if Hamas and Israel reach a ceasefire agreement during the current hostage negotiation talks.

One official told Reuters if the talks fail, or if Iran perceives that Israel is attempting to draw out the negotiations, Iran and its allies would launch a direct attack on Israel. The timeframe for how long Iran might wait before taking action remains unclear.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he also believed a ceasefire deal could stave off an Iranian attack on Israel.

During an appearance in New Orleans, Biden was asked whether a ceasefire in Gaza could prevent an Iranian attack on Israel.

“That's my expectation,” Biden responded. He also told the reporters that reaching a ceasefire deal is “getting harder” but that he is “not giving up.”

“We’ll see what Iran does and we’ll see what happens if there is any attack. But I’m not giving up,” the president said.

While the Hamas terror group said it would not attend the hostage negotiations on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that it is working to get a Hamas representative.

Hamas blames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for making additional demands and said it would only accept the previously agreed upon proposal.

On Monday, White House spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. expects an Iranian attack could happen this week.

“Something could happen as soon as this week by Iran and its proxies,” Kirby said, adding that it was both “a US assessment as well as an Israel assessment.”

Kirby warned that an Iran action could affect the hostage negotiations.

“If something does happen this week, the timing of it could certainly well have an impact on these talks we want to do on Thursday,” he warned.

At the same time, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said last week that forcing Israel to wait for a retaliation is “part of the battle.”

Hezbollah has previously stated it would only stop its attacks against Israel if a ceasefire would be reached in Gaza.

The U.S. has deployed additional warships to the area, including an extra carrier strike group, and a guided missile submarine, along with F-22 fighter jets, in an attempt to dissuade Iran from launching a large-scale attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, the U.S. also announced the approval of $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel to help meet its defensive needs in light of increasing tensions.