In a climate of escalating tension and fear, Iranian officials have indicated that only a successful ceasefire agreement in Gaza could stay their hand from retaliating against Israel for the shocking assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
The stakes are high as ceasefire talks are set to resume this week, potentially in Egypt or Qatar, with the spectre of wider regional conflict looming large.
Three senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the gravity of the situation. Iran, along with its allies such as Hezbollah, stands poised to launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks falter or if Israel is perceived to be dragging out negotiations.
The palpable sense of urgency is heightened by the officials' refusal to specify a timeline for Iran's patience regarding the talks' progress.
The assassination of Haniyeh, which Iran bitterly attributes to Israel, has pushed an already volatile situation to the brink. Israel's silence on the matter, neither confirming nor denying involvement, has only added to the tense atmosphere.
Recent days have witnessed a flurry of intense diplomatic efforts involving Iran, Western countries, and the United States, all desperately seeking to avert a catastrophic widening of the conflict. The U.S. ambassador to Turkey confirmed the frantic nature of these efforts, revealing that Washington is urgently seeking allies' assistance in persuading Iran to step back from the precipice of retaliation.
Iran's mission to the UN offered a glimmer of hope amidst the gloom, stating on Friday, "We hope our response will be timed and executed in a way that does not harm a potential ceasefire." However, this cautious optimism was tempered by Iran's foreign ministry's stern assertion on Tuesday that calls for restraint "contradict principles of international law."
The immediacy of the threat was starkly acknowledged by White House spokesperson John Kirby, who warned, "Something could happen as soon as this week by Iran and its proxies... That is a U.S. assessment as well as an Israel assessment."
Lloyd Austin ordered the U.S. Navy to deploy warships and a submarine to the Middle East, a sobering reminder of the potential for military escalation.
As the region holds its breath, sources suggest that Iran is considering an unprecedented move: sending a representative to participate indirectly in the ceasefire talks.
This potential first-time involvement since the war in Gaza began could be a pivotal moment, with the representative engaging in behind-the-scenes discussions to maintain a fragile line of diplomatic communication with the United States during negotiations.
* Reuters contributed to this article.