Biden Says He Expects Iran To Hold Off on Israel Attack If Gaza Ceasefire Reached

Earlier in the day, Iran rejected calls from Western countries to reconsider its plans to respond to the Israeli killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran

President Biden said Tuesday that he thinks Iran might not launch a retaliatory attack on Israel if a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal is reached.

When asked if Iran might scrap its plans to retaliate for the Israeli killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran if Israel and Hamas clinch a deal, Biden said, “That’s my expectation.” However, he also said it was “getting harder” to reach an agreement.

Qatar and Egypt are planning to host ceasefire talks this Thursday, although Hamas is calling for the implementation of a ceasefire proposal that President Biden unveiled back in May. Israeli officials also still believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands are an obstacle to any potential deal.

Earlier on Tuesday, Reuters reported that Iran might delay its planned retaliatory strike on Israel could be delayed to allow ceasefire talks to progress. But Iran also publicly rejected calls from the UK, Germany, and France to reconsider attacking Israel.

“Such demands are void of political logic, in complete contradiction to the principles and rules of international law, and excessive,” Iranian Foreign Minister Nasser Kan’ani said in response to the Western calls. “They are tantamount to public and practical support for the source of international crimes and terrorism in the region and encourage and reward the masterminds and perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”

Kan’ani added that Iran was “resolved to defend its national sovereignty and security, and help establish sustainable stability in the region and create deterrence against the genuine source of insecurity and terrorism in the region.”

A day earlier, the White House said it was prepared for Iran and potentially its allies to launch a “significant” attack on Israel. The US is vowing to defend Israel and has deployed additional assets to the Middle East solely for that purpose.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.