Hezbollah is reportedly willing to delay its retaliatory response against Israel in an attempt to allow the renewed Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations to play out.
Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, have vowed to target Israel in response to the assassinations of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr on July 30 and of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran a day later.
Their response has not yet occurred, and Hezbollah indicated it did not intend to disrupt the renewed ceasefire negotiations that began on Thursday.
“We can say that Hezbollah will not launch its retaliation operation during the Qatar talks because the party does not want to be held accountable for obstructing the talks or a potential deal,” an individual with close ties to Hezbollah told the Washington Post. “The retaliation can wait; it is not urgent or has a time limit.”
Also on Friday, Hezbollah released a four-minute video that appeared to show underground tunnels and large missile launchers.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani spoke with Iran’s acting foreign minister on Thursday, and he stressed “the need for calm and de-escalation in the region.”
The U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian governments released a statement on Friday morning stating that the “talks were serious and constructive and were conducted in a positive atmosphere.”
During the talks on Friday, “the United States with support from Egypt and Qatar, presented to both parties a bridging proposal that is consistent with the principles laid out by President Biden on May 31, 2024 and Security Council Resolution No. 2735,” the statement from the mediating governments added. “This proposal builds on areas of agreement over the past week, and bridges remaining gaps in the manner that allows for a swift implementation of the deal.”
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier this week that Iran “has made some preparations” for its highly anticipated attack, which could occur “soon” and “with little or no notice.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin surged military resources and personnel from the United States to the Middle East ahead of Iran’s potential response and is prepared to help Israel defend itself, if needed. He spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, on Friday, and during that call, Austin told Gallant that “the United States continues to monitor attack planning from Iran and its proxies and is well-postured across the region to defend Israel and protect U.S. personnel and facilities,” according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The U.S. has sought to prevent the Israel-Hamas war and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict from expanding into a regional conflict, both of which are supported by Iran. Iran’s proxies, which also include the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq and Syria, have all attacked U.S. forces or Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack that ignited the war 10 months ago.
Hezbollah is considered to be Iran’s largest and most sophisticated proxy force in the region, and it has a much larger arsenal and more significant capabilities than Hamas. If the two sides were to engage in an all-out war, it would likely devastate both sides and include scores of casualties.
