Iran will reportedly refrain from attacking Israel if there is a cease-fire deal in place.
According to Reuters, Iranian officials say there will be a direct attack to retaliate against the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh if talks between Israel and Hamas fail or stall. That attack will be coordinated with proxy groups such as the Hezbollah.
That ups the pressure on already fragile talks that are scheduled to restart tomorrow. Hamas has reiterated conditions reportedly agreed upon in July, rejecting later demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his trip to the Middle East yesterday. His office cited “uncertainty about the situation.” On the same day, Hamas launched rockets at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
The State Department said yesterday that Netanyahu previously confirmed Israel is prepared to finalize details on how to implement the deal.