Rama Krishna Sangem
First of all, there may not be any direct war between Israel and Iran in near future. Even is some proxy battles like those fought by Israel and pro-Hamas groups from Iran soil take place, their scope and range will be limited. This is the view of both the military superpowers –America & Russia.
White House officials believe that the United States’ (US’) diplomatic efforts to temper Iran’s retaliation after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, which Tehran blames on Israel, could be working, The Washington Post has reported.
Fears of a regional war have increased sharply after Iran threatened to “punish” Israel for Haniyeh’s killing, with Tehran warning that its response will be harsher than its attack on April 13-14. For its part, Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for killing Haniyeh. Adding to the tensions, Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah has also threatened a response to Israel’s killing of its top commander, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut.
According to the Washington Post report, Tehran may rethink its plans for attacking Israel after the US hurriedly deployed its military forces to the region and warned Iran of serious consequences for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s new government.
Bomb, not missile, killed Haniyeh
Speaking to the US publication, a senior official from US President Joe Biden’s administration said that Tehran understands clearly that the US is “unwavering in its defence” of its interests, partners and people. “We have moved a significant amount of military assets to the region to underscore that principle,” added the official.
While Iran initially claimed that an Israeli missile fired from nearby was responsible for killing Haniyeh in a Tehran guesthouse, Biden officials reportedly said that the Iranian government had privately accepted that a bomb placed in his room led to his death. According to the report, this fact could also change Iran’s plans for a harsh response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also asked Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for a restrained response against Israel and advised against attacking Israeli civilians, Reuters has reported, citing two senior Iranian sources.
According to the sources cited by the news agency, Putin’s message was delivered to Iran on Monday by Sergei Shoigu, a senior ally of the Russian President, during meetings with top Iranian officials.
While Reuters reported that the Kremlin had not responded to a request for comment, Russian state-run RIA news agency reported on Tuesday that Shoigu had indeed discussed Haniyeh’s killing during his visit to Tehran.