Iran officials indicate attack on Israel may be put off, happen only if truce talks fail

Only a ceasefire deal in Gaza stemming from hoped-for talks this week will hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials say, appearing to scale back its previously reported intention to attack before Thursday’s talks.

One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, says Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, will launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. The sources do not say how long Iran will allow for talks to progress before responding.

The development comes after several reports in recent days indicated Israel believes Iran intends to attack before Thursday’s renewed talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal. The new comments appear to signal that the attack will only take place after those talks, and only if they fail to yield what Iran deems to be sufficient results.

Iran has vowed a severe response to Haniyeh’s killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement. The US Navy has deployed warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israeli defenses.