Iran-France high-level phone call calls for de-escalation of tensions

Iranian state media reported the first phone call between new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and French President Emmanuel Macron amid fears of escalating conflict in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

"Iran will never remain silent in the face of actions against its interests and security," Mr. Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in a phone call with Mr. Macron on August 7.

The Iranian leader also made comments hinting at a diplomatic path to de-escalation, according to Bloomberg.

"If the US and Western countries really want to prevent war in the region, they must stop supporting Israel and force Israel to stop... attacks on Gaza and accept a ceasefire," Mr. Pezeshkia stressed.

On the other end of the line, Mr. Macron asked Mr. Pezeshkian to do everything possible to avoid a new escalation of tensions, warning that continued violence would cause lasting damage to stability in the Middle East, the Elysee Palace said in a text message.

President Macron, who heads one of Europe's leading military powers, also said he was conveying this message to all regional players with whom he had been in contact.

According to the statement, he reiterated France's position in support of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and firmly rejected any escalation.

On August 7, an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held in Saudi Arabia at Iran's request to discuss the assassination of Mr. Haniyeh.

Israel is on high military alert for a potential Iranian attack following the assassination. While Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the assassination, Israel has yet to confirm or deny responsibility.

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has also threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of senior commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on the outskirts of Beirut last week.

Both sides are in the process of preparation.

CNN (USA) on August 7 quoted two intelligence sources saying that Hezbollah is tending to act independently rather than coordinate with Iran in retaliatory actions.

One of CNN's sources believes Hezbollah is ahead of Iran in preparing an attack, which it expects to launch in the coming days. Meanwhile, Iran has made some preparations for a large-scale attack on Israel.

Unlike Iran, Hezbollah would likely launch an attack with little or no warning because Lebanon borders Israel, a second source said.

The source added that it was unclear whether Tehran and its ally Hezbollah would cooperate on a potential attack, and some officials believed they might not see eye to eye on how to proceed.

Meanwhile, Israeli Hebrew media reported on August 7 that Israeli officials increasingly believe that Hezbollah, not Iran, will be the first to launch a major attack on Israel in the coming days.

Smoke from an Israeli air strike rises as a woman walks past a tent camp in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, August 5, 2024. Photo: Getty Images

Amid regional tensions that threaten to flare up as the war in the Gaza Strip enters its 11th month on August 7, Israel announced it would remove Hamas' new political leader, Yahya Sinwar.

Israel considers Mr Sinwar to be one of the main planners of the attack on the country on October 7 last year that sparked the conflict in the narrow strip of land on the Mediterranean coast that was once home to 2.3 million people.

Speaking at a military base on August 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the country's determination to defend itself. "We are prepared both defensively and offensively," he told recruits.

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, vowed to find and deal with Mr. Sinwar, forcing Hamas to find another leader.

Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza since 2017, has not been seen since the October 7 attack. A senior Hamas official said the choice of Sinwar sent a message that the group “continues its path of resistance.”

Minh Duc (According to Reuters, Bloomberg, France24, Times of Israel)