Israel-Gaza War: Latest Updates – The New York Times

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*******-Gaza War: Latest Updates – The New York Times

Several ***** countries are encouraging Iran to exercise restraint in responding to the ************** of ******’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran last week, as fears of an unpredictable regional war expand.

The diplomatic blitz, led by countries allied with the ******* States, came as the Biden administration was trying to lower tensions in the Middle East and renew efforts to achieve a cease-***** in Gaza.

But the diplomacy also reflected concerns among some ***** countries of being dragged into a major conflict that could destabilize their economies and undermine their security.

In the past week, Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi of Jordan has twice met with senior Iranian officials, including the newly elected Iranian president, in a rare visit to Tehran.

“Jordan informed the Iranian brothers of its message in a clear manner,” Muhannad al-Mubaidin, Jordan’s minister of government communications, said in an interview. “We will not allow for our airspace or land to be used for any purpose. We are not willing to be a battlefield.”

In April, Jordan helped intercept missiles and drones fired by Iran at ******* after senior Iranian officers were ******* in an airstrike on Iran’s embassy complex in Damascus, Syria. The strike was widely attributed to *******.

Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, right, with Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi of Jordan in Tehran on Sunday.Credit…Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

The latest tensions between ******* and Iran have put Jordan in a particularly challenging position. While it maintains a strong relationship with the ******* States and close security coordination with *******, Jordan also has millions of citizens of ************ origin, including many who fiercely oppose aiding ******* in any form.

“Jordan has to strike a very delicate balance,” said Saud al-Sharafat, a former brigadier general in Jordan’s intelligence service. “It’s like walking on a tightrope.”

Last week, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that avenging Mr. Haniyeh’s ****** was “our duty” because he had been ******* on Iranian soil. He promised to deliver “a severe punishment.”

Countries farther from ******* have also been urging Iran to refrain from escalating regional tensions.

In a phone call on Monday, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, told Antony J. Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, that he had spoken to Ali Bagheri Kani, the Iranian foreign minister, about the need for restraint, according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

The Qatari prime minister also informed Mr. Blinken that Qatar had given a similar message to Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia that has been exchanging ***** with ******** forces along the Lebanon-******* border, the official said. Hezbollah says it is fighting there in support of ****** in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran.

Hours before Mr. Haniyeh’s **************, ******* ******* Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s top military official, in response to a deadly strike on a soccer field in the ********-controlled Golan Heights days earlier. ******* blamed Hezbollah for that strike, but the group denied responsibility.

Earlier this week, Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said in a speech that his group and Iran were “obliged to respond” to the killings of Mr. Shukr and Mr. Haniyeh, “whatever the consequences.”

“What is required is confrontation,” he said.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty of Egypt called Mr. Bagheri Kani as a part of his country’s efforts to “contain the escalation in the region,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday expressed sympathy for Iran’s position and sharply criticized ******* during an extraordinary meeting in Saudi Arabia of foreign ministers from countries belonging to the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.

The Saudi deputy foreign minister, Waleed El Khereiji,

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that Mr. Haniyeh’s ************** had been a “blatant violation” of Iran’s “sovereignty, its regional and national security and of international law.” Mr. El Khereiji added that the kingdom called on the international community to force ******* to “bear responsibility for its *******,” including attacks on ************ civilians.

Amid the flurry of calls and meetings, some officials in the ***** world were predicting that Iran would conduct a limited response.

One adviser for an ***** country whose officials speak frequently with their Iranian counterparts said they saw Iran as “smart and cautious” and that while they did expect a response to Mr. Haniyeh’s **************, they thought it would be calibrated to avoid further escalation. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to disrupt diplomatic channels.

Reducing tensions, Jordanian officials said, was important for giving an agreement on a cease-***** in Gaza a chance to be reached.

“It’s not possible to end a war while you’re witnessing an escalation from all the sides,” Mr. Mubaidin, the government communications minister, said.

Vivian Yee and Vivian Nereim contributed reporting.

— Adam Rasgon and Ben Hubbard

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