Flags of Israel and Iran, as conflict between countries.
Palestinian group Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on Wednesday, 31st July in an attack attributed to Israel, hours after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s Southern suburbs resulted in the death of Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukur.
Ever since the war in Gaza began October 7, Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire, and people have lost their homes and their lives on the Lebanese-Israeli border. However, it has not yet escalated to the level of a ground invasion or full-scale war, though both sides say they are prepared for all scenarios.
The United States also made clear since October 7 that it has planned for all of the possible contingencies, including the broadening of this conflict, including the escalation of this conflict.
Earlier Monday, August, 5 US Secretary Blinken spoke to Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty about tensions in the Middle East, the latest in a series of diplomatic engagements he has held over the past few days with counterparts in the region and around the world, including calls with G7 foreign ministers and Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani.
On Sunday, August 3, Jordan’s top diplomat Ayman Safadi visited Iran for talks, becoming the first senior Jordanian official to make a state trip to Iran in over 20 years.
The US message at the moment for the region it is that is all a tensed context and it is important that all parties take steps over the coming days to refrain from escalation and calm tensions, since escalation is in no one’s interest, hereby comprising regional and international players. For the US it means all parties, including Iran, should be taking the appropriate decisions in the days to come, and that means avoiding bold steps that could lead to a wider conflict.
In its official statement, the United States Administration highlights that it continues to see a ceasefire in Gaza as the crucial step to helping calm broader tensions – in addition to, of course, securing the release of hostages and addressing the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
A top American general visited Israel in a weighty show of support for Israel, Monday, August, 5. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the country’s new Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Before traveling to Cario, Fidan visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing linking Gaza to northern Egypt on Sunday.
Previously to currently development, the Russian official, Sergey Shoigu oversaw deepening military ties with Iran. He also pursed a visit to Tehran on August, 5 likely intended to indicate the Kremlin’s support for Iran amid an escalatory spiral. In the wake of the visit, there appeared allegation that Russsia transferred Iskander missile systems and Murmansk-BN electronic warfare systems to Iran, according to Israeli news service Channel 14. This raises the possibility that Iskander-K systems, with R-500 cruise missiles capable of reaching 1,500 km, might have been included in the transfer, according to the same sources.
European Union has not got a say yet, but through individual efforts, noting France and Italy and other countries in individual capacity. France exerted diplomatic efforts through calls with the Saudi and Emirati leaders. A French official might visit Beirut this week (to be confirmed).
Ali Bagheri, acting Foreign Minister of Iran, has held talks on the phone, on August 5, with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade -the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union- regarding the importance of maintaining stability and security in the region and condemning Israeli acts in violation of the international law as well as the legitimate right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to defend its security sovereignty and territorial integrity. Szijjártó said Hungary is extremely worried about what is happening in the region and the escalation of tension. Ali Bagheri hold a telephone conversation with Ms. Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, to discuss the importance of the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in maintaining regional peace and stability, the necessity of stopping the genocide in Gaza. The Hungarian minister conveyed the message about a potential Iranian attack to his Israeli counterpart, according to the Israeli statements.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, whose country currently holds the rotating G7 presidency, also addressed the official concerns for the situation: “Together with our partners, we have expressed strong concern about recent events that threaten to determine a regionalization of the crisis, starting from Lebanon”, hoping for the appease of tensions soon. The diplomatic exercise continues over the course of the week while the world is watching a tensed context, hoping for an appeasement.
About the author:
Mr. Flavius CABA-MARIA is the President of MEPEI.
