Iranian officials reveal only way Israel can postpone retaliatory attack

The only way Iran will postpone its impending attack on Israel is if a Gaza ceasefire is reached, according to three senior Iranian officials.

Iranian officials revealed their demand to Reuters on Tuesday, just two days after Hamas announced it would not take part in any hostage or ceasefire negotiations.

The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s attack prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel his trip to the Middle East on Tuesday, according to Axios. Two senior American officials reportedly believe the attack will not happen Tuesday night.

According to one Iranian security official, Iran and its allies would launch a direct attack on Israel if Gaza ceasefire talks fail or if Iran suspects Israel is dragging out negotiations. The officials did not specify how long Iran would be willing to wait before launching its attack.

The most recent escalation between Israel and Iran stems from a July 27 rocket attack on Israel that killed 12 children, which Israel responded to by assassinating Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31. Iran has vowed a direct retaliatory strike in response to the assassination.

Hamas additionally launched two rockets at Tel Aviv from Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in no casualties. One rocket landed in the sea, while the other did not reach Israeli territory. Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 19 Palestinians on Tuesday.

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Last week, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar requested Israel and Hamas meet to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release on Aug. 15 in either Cairo, Egypt, or Doha, Qatar. Despite Hamas’s Sunday announcement that it would not take part in talks, the U.S. expressed confidence that Thursday’s negotiations would proceed as planned on Monday.

The Washington Examiner reached out to the IDF to confirm whether the two sides will be going through with Thursday’s negotiations.