Iran will launch a direct attack with allies such as Hezbollah if ceasefire talks in Gaza fail or if it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations, a senior Iranian security official said, without specifying how long "stretching" would be.

Two Iranian sources said Iran would support Hezbollah and other allies if they took action in response to the assassination of Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an airstrike in Beirut a day before Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.

One of the sources said that a ceasefire in Gaza would allow Iran to carry out a more limited and “symbolic” retaliatory response.

With the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East rising following the two assassinations, Iran has recently engaged in extensive dialogue with Western countries, according to unnamed sources.

In comments published on August 13, the US ambassador to Türkiye confirmed that Washington is asking its allies to help persuade Iran to de-escalate tensions to avoid an escalation ahead of Gaza ceasefire talks, scheduled to begin on August 15 in Egypt or Qatar.

“We hope that our response will be measured and implemented in a way that does not jeopardize the potential ceasefire,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on August 9. Iran’s foreign ministry said on August 13 that the call for restraint “contradicts the principles of international law.”

Over the weekend, Hamas expressed doubts about whether the talks would take place. Israel and Hamas have held several rounds of talks in recent months without reaching a final ceasefire agreement.

In Israel, many observers believe there will be an immediate response after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would "severely punish" Israel for the attack on Tehran.

"We are closely monitoring what is happening in Beirut and Tehran, working to prevent any threats, preparing various attack options," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a visit to an intelligence base in northern Israel.

Iran-based analyst Saeed Laylaz said the Islamic Republic's leaders are now looking towards a ceasefire in Gaza "to gain momentum, avoid a full-scale war and consolidate their position in the region".

Iran is considering sending a representative to the ceasefire talks, two sources said, but the representative would not directly attend the meetings but would instead engage in behind-the-scenes discussions “to maintain diplomatic lines of communication” with the United States while the talks are underway.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)