Iran may dump revenge attack plan against Israel in exchange for Gaza ceasefire
Jeddah: In a last-ditch effort to quell Iran's seething rage against Israel over the assassination of Hamas' political leader in Tehran, leaders from Middle Eastern countries gathered at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah to explore peace options, CNN reported.
But could Tehran instead be prepared to pull back in exchange for progress on Gaza peace talks? That was the hope among regional leaders gathered at an emergency summit in Jeddah, CNN opined.
Since Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran last week, the Iran leaders have vowed vengeance against Israel, whom they claim was responsible. Israel hasn't confirmed or denied responsibility.
According to CNN, flights across Iran and its neighbours were cancelled amid fears that missiles could fly any moment, triggering a much-feared escalation of Israel's war in Gaza.
With his country on the brink of triggering a regional war, Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri attended the OIC Summit on Wednesday.
CNN quoted Jordan's foreign minister, Ayman Safadi as saying, "The first step toward stopping the escalation is ending its root cause, which is the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza."
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US has told both- Israel and Iran that "no one should escalate this conflict". He added that the ceasefire negotiations have reached "a final stage", CNN reported. Blinken added that any tensions in the region can jeopardize the peace talks.
According to CNN, Safadi was in Tehran over the weekend and met both Bagheri and Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian, and appears to believe that Iran may be looking for an off ramp to escalation.
Iran needs diplomatic cover to back away from its threats and a Gaza ceasefire would allow Tehran to claim it cares more for the lives of Palestinians than it does for taking revenge. "But the payoff needs to be big enough for Iran as its honour and deterrence are at stake," CNN said.
According to CNN, France's President Emanuel Macron is adding his diplomatic heft, declaring in a phone call with Pezeshkian Wednesday that retaliation against Israel "has to be abandoned".
Pezeshkian's response suggests he is listening, CNN reported quoting Iran PM, "If America and Western countries really want to prevent war and insecurity in the region, to prove this claim, they should immediately stop selling arms and supporting the Zionist regime and force this regime to stop the genocide and attacks on Gaza and accept a ceasefire."
However, Hamas made peace talks with Israel further difficult as it replaced Haniyeh with Yahya Sinwar, the alleged mastermind behind the October 7 attacks, which resulted into the ongoing war.
CNN said that the resolution from OIC will come into effect only if US President Joe Biden meddles, as it can convince Netanyahu.
Riyad Mansour, Palestine's Permanent Observer at the UN said, "The region does not need escalation. What the region needs is a ceasefire. What the region needs to address legitimate rights. I have a feeling that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to drag President Biden into a war with Iran," he said.
CNN reported that Israel views Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah as different hands under the same theological head.
A US official told CNN that they fear Hezbollah may strike Israel, and if the latter retaliates, the whole region may get wrapped in a regional escalation.
