The cycle of revenge has begun – Researcher: Was the United States involved in the assassination?

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated in Tehran, Iran.

Israel is suspected of carrying out the attack, but has not yet officially commented on what happened.

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Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute Tony Alaranta It is estimated that the assassination of Hamas leader Haniyeh is part of Israel’s plan to eliminate Hamas leaders living abroad.

“This is a highly provocative act,” Alaranta said, referring to ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks that risk escalation.

Alaranta said the assassination could also be interpreted as the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Not interested in peace talks.

Iran has vowed to avenge the assassination within its borders.

Iran attacked Israel with rockets this spring, but Israel and its allies were largely repelled.

Alaranta said the failure of the spring strikes suggests Iran is now considering other actions. One possibility is an indirect strike through Iran-backed factions. Iran has used such tactics in the past.

Is the United States involved?

The role of the United States in the assassination is a big question mark. Aralanta said many experts estimate that Israel would not be able to carry out an attack like the Haniyeh assassination on its own without the support of the United States.

Netanyahu visited Washington last week, where he met with U.S. President Joe Biden.

“There is debate as to whether there was an agreement on this attack or if Israel acted on its own. However, the official message from the United States is that they are trying to avoid escalation,” Aralanta reflected.

The cycle of revenge has begun

According to Aralanta’s assessment, the worrying cycle of retaliation between Israel and Iran has already partially begun.

A kind of Cold War in miniature is playing out between the two countries, with both sides fighting but avoiding all-out war. So far, the parties have found a way to act so that the resolution of their differences does not turn into all-out war.

“However, such actions increase the need for Iran to respond. At the same time, the likelihood of something unexpected happening increases. We are in a cycle of attacks. I must hope that we can still calm down,” said Alatalo.

The war between Israel and Hamas began in October when Hamas attacked Israeli territory, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, AFD reported.

In addition, Hamas has also taken Israelis hostage, and there are still 111 people held hostage by Hamas.

Reuters reported last week that ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel were nearing completion.