Iran may delay any retaliation against Israel, Alimohammad Naini, spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
“Time is in our favor, and the waiting period for this response could be long,” Naini said, hinting at a potential delayed retaliation against Israel over the elimination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
Naini emphasized that “the enemy” should prepare for a calculated and precise response. Iranian leadership is carefully considering its options, and their response might differ from past actions, he added, as reported by Iranian state media.
The Middle East has been on edge since the elimination of Haniyeh. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of being behind the elimination, but Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the killing.
Naini also stated in his remarks on Tuesday that Tehran supports any initiative that would end the war in Gaza and aid its people but expressed skepticism about US intentions.
“We do not consider the US actions sincere. We consider the US to be a party to the (Gaza) war,” he stressed.
His comments came a day after the Deputy Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, stated that his country will punish Israel “in due time and place” for the elimination of Haniyeh.
“The fake and child-killing Zionist regime continued its stupidity and martyred Haniyeh on Iranian soil, and we will give an appropriate response in due time and place”, Fadavi said, according to IRNA.
On Friday, US, Iranian and Israeli officials told The New York Times that Iran is expected to delay planned reprisals against Israel to allow mediators time to make a high-stakes push for a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza.
Israeli intelligence has assessed that both Iran and Hezbollah have lowered the level of alertness in their rocket and missile units, five Israeli officials told the newspaper.
Previously, three senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Iran could delay or cancel its planned attack against Israel if this week’s ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are successful.
Meanwhile, a US official on Friday warned that Iran would face “cataclysmic” consequences and derail momentum toward a Gaza truce if it strikes Israel.
The United States “would encourage the Iranians — and I know many are — not to move down that road, because the consequences could be quite cataclysmic, particularly for Iran,” the senior US official told reporters.
Source » israelnationalnews