Iran brushes-off calls to stop retaliatory attack on Israel

Middle East – A retaliatory attack on Israel still imminent as Iran declines calls from the five Western countries to forego their planned retaliatory strike on Israel after the assassination of a senior Hamas leaders Ismail Hanniyeh and Hezbollah top commanders.

Leaders from United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France have expressed their support for the efforts for de-escalation of violence in the Middle East and the aims of trying to reach a ceasefire in the war on Gaza in a joint statement issued on Monday.

Also read: Tanzania opposition leaders arrested by police

Tensions in the Middle East have flared up in the past months after the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran where he was attending the inauguration of the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and that of Faud Shukr a top commander of the Lebanese para-military Hezbollah in Beirut.

Israel has not declared responsible for the death of Haniyeh, but Iran is convinced that its Middle East enemy planned and executed the bomb attack that killed Hamas political leader. Some reports have linked the attack to Mossad – Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.

The white house has warned that a ‘’significant set of attacks’’ by Iran and its proxies could happen as soon as this week. The United States in return has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and guided missile submarine to the Middle East in support of Israel.

Read: Kenyan Olympians score big with record prize money

Earlier on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement calling for de-escalation.

“We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages…… The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” they said in a statement.

Nasser Kanani Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman criticised the Western calls for a stand down saying such requests lacked political logic.

“The declaration by France, Germany, and Britain which raised no objection of the Zionist regime , brazenly asks Iran to take no deterrent action against a regime which has violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity“ lacks political logic.

It’s expected that Iran may lauch direct attack to Israel or deploy its proxies in the region, including Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The retaliatory attack could widen the tension in the region.