Joe Biden Hopes Iran Will Back Down from Exacting Revenge on Israel for Ismail Haniyeh's Death

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Joe Biden hopes that Iran will back down from its threat to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, amid growing fears of conflict escalation in the Middle East.

Regional tensions rose after Haniyeh's assassination on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, a day after an Israeli raid in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander of the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Both groups are supported by Iran.

Iran and Hamas blame Israel for Haniyeh's assassination, but Israel has yet to claim responsibility. Along with Hezbollah, they have vowed to avenge the killing.

Biden answered a reporter's question on Saturday, August 3, 2024 about whether Iran would back down from its promise of revenge. "I hope so. I don't know," he said, as quoted by Reuters.

In an effort to bolster defenses in the Middle East in response to threats from Israel's enemies, the US Defense Department or Pentagon said on Friday that it would deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the region.

Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani recently informed United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the killing of Haniyeh on Iranian territory had "violated the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran".

"Iran will not give up its right to self-defense and take countermeasures to punish the criminal Zionists," Bagheri Kani was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

The United States and its international partners including France, Britain, Italy and Egypt resumed diplomatic contacts on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation.

US citizens wishing to leave Lebanon were advised to start making plans immediately, and the British government advised its citizens to "leave now". Canada warned its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, saying the regional armed conflict jeopardizes security.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasized in a phone call with Bagheri Kani yesterday that recent developments in the region are "unprecedented, extremely dangerous" and threaten stability.

Abdelatty urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from further deteriorating out of control.

REUTERS | TASNIM | EGYPT TODAY

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