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US President Joe Biden said he does not expect Iran to carry out a retaliatory strike against Israel in response to the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders if a deal is reached to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Asked if there was a connection between the possibility of attacks by Iran and its allies and a deal to end the war between Israel and Hamas, Biden replied: “That’s my expectation.”
Washington is bracing for an attack by Tehran or its allies against Israel this week, in retaliation for the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
The United States has sent additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help Israel repel an attack.
The Biden administration has stepped up diplomatic efforts to try to prevent or limit any Iranian retaliation. The White House’s top Middle East official, Brett McGurk, has traveled to Egypt and Qatar, and senior adviser Amos Hochstein will be in Lebanon.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar plan to mediate ceasefire talks on Thursday in a bid to pressure Israel and Hamas to agree a deal to free remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza and end the 10-month conflict in the enclave that has killed some 40,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health workers, and displaced nearly its entire population.
Hamas on Sunday accused Israel of trying to drag out the talks without any intention of reaching an agreement and called on mediators to force the Israeli government to implement the plan outlined by Biden in late May.
“The United States has worked diplomatically and militarily to deter any further escalation by Iran and its proxy terrorist groups against Israel, and to support broader de-escalation in the region, including through a ceasefire and hostage settlement for Gaza, and a negotiated settlement along the Blue Line,” a senior administration official said.
U.S. officials said Tuesday that an Iranian attack on Israel did not appear imminent.
A person familiar with the matter said there appeared to be an internal debate in Iran over how to respond to the assassinations and that Tehran would be careful to conceal its preparations.
This would be in contrast to what happened in April, when he telegraphed his first direct attack on Israel from Iranian soil in retaliation for an Israeli attack on his diplomatic compound in Syria, which killed several senior Iranian commanders.
Israel responded with a missile attack on Iran, but the direct “tit-for-tat” strikes caused limited damage and prevented further escalation.
A source within the Iranian regime told the Financial Times that the regime had been deliberately vague about its retaliatory plans as part of “a psychological warfare campaign to keep Israel’s military, security and logistical capabilities in check, denying residents of the occupied territories any sense of calm.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department notified Congress on Tuesday of $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including fighter jets, advanced air-to-air missiles and tank ammunition. The sales are long-term contracts and the items are expected to take several years to arrive.
