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Amid the ongoing Gaza war, Israel and Iran are on the brink of what is being called a potential “World War 3 teaser” on social media. The risk of military escalation between the two foes was triggered by the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week.
The incident has prompted the United States to come to Israel's rescue by deploying more forces in the West Asia region. Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah have vowed “severe revenge” in response to Haniyeh’s killing. According to the Washington Post, Iran told Arab diplomats of Lebanon and Jordan that they would strike the Jewish state “even if it means war.”
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, an attack on Israel by Iran and its allies could commence on Monday. This would mean a potential simultaneous attack on Israel by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran itself.
How Israel reacted to the threat of a possible attack
Iran's Revolutionary Guards blamed the "terrorist Zionist regime" of Israel for assassinating the Hamas leader, considered the architect of the October 7, 2023, attack. According to Iranian officials, Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on Wednesday by a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kg.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that “Israel is in a multifront war against Iran’s axis of evil” and added that the country was prepared for any scenario. Israel has denied involvment in Haniyeh's killing.
The killing of a senior Hezbollah leader in Lebanon last week has only worsened the situation. Following the incident, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday that the war with Israel “has entered a new phase.”
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US intervenes between Israel-Iran
With the aim of averting this potential conflict, the US is also pressing Netanyahu to redouble negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. On the failure to secure a negotiation deal despite the 10-month-long war, Israel says that Hamas keeps changing its demands, a charge the Jewish state is facing itself.
Amid fears over rising tensions, the Group of Seven (G7) nations' foreign ministers met on a video conference on Sunday to discuss the regional crisis.
In Israel, people prepared bomb shelters anticipating possible strikes. According to the Times of Israel, the country’s security establishment was also considering the possibility of “preventive actions or attacks,” including in Lebanon.