A ceasefire in Gaza is the only potential measure that could postpone Iran's anticipated response to Israel's actions, experts suggested.
Three senior Iranian officials stated that Iran would only refrain from taking direct revenge on Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil if a ceasefire agreement in Gaza resulted from anticipated negotiations this week.
Iran has promised a harsh retaliation for Haniyeh's murder, which it attributed to Israel and occurred during his visit to Tehran at the end of last month.
Israel has not stated that it is involved or disputed it. To support Israeli defences, the U.S. Navy has sent warships and a submarine to the Middle East.
According to a senior Iranian security officer who was one of the sources, Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, will launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks break down or if they believe Israel is dragging out the talks.
How long Iran would wait for the discussions to advance before reacting was not made clear by the sources.
