France Danger of war in the Middle East: pressure on Iran grows

In view of the retaliatory strikes against Israel threatened by Iran and its allies for days, the situation in the Middle East is tense to the breaking point. Israel is threatening its enemies with devastating consequences. "We will send a very clear message to our enemies, to those who attack us, to those who talk in every speech about how they will destroy the state of Israel," warned Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi during a visit to an airbase. According to media reports, the focus is primarily on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which is allied with Iran. According to official information, hospitals there are already preparing for an emergency.

"As things stand, (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah could make Lebanon pay a very high price. You can't even imagine what could happen," Israel's Defense Minister Joav Galant told the Times of Israel during a troop visit. It looks increasingly likely that Hezbollah could attack Israel in the coming days, regardless of Iran's intentions, the US television station CNN quoted two sources familiar with intelligence information last night. It is not clear whether Iran and Hezbollah will coordinate a possible attack.

Israel draws a red line

The Israeli government has informed its ally, the USA, that the Israeli military would react "disproportionately" if Hezbollah were to attack Israeli civilians in revenge for the recent killing of its top military commander, reported Israeli journalist Barak Ravid on the US news portal "Axios", citing two unnamed Israeli officials. This was an attempt to define a line of action that would force Israel to escalate the conflict with Hezbollah, which has been going on for months, and risk war.

For days, the US and its allies in the West and the Middle East have been urging Iran and Israel to reduce tensions and prevent a major war in the region. In a telephone call, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Iran's new President Massud Peseschkian to do everything possible to avoid further military escalation, which would also be of no interest to Iran and would cause lasting damage to regional stability, according to the Élysée Palace.

Report: Iran could reconsider its stance

According to a commentator in the "Washington Post", the intensive diplomatic efforts could well be having an effect in the meantime. The risk of an Iranian attack is still high. However, White House officials told the newspaper that the efforts were gradually paying off and that there was a possibility that Iran would reconsider its stance. The military threat posed by the deployment of additional US warships and fighter jets to the region has also contributed to this.

Iran knew full well that the USA would relentlessly defend its interests and partners, a senior US government official was quoted as saying by the newspaper. It had also been made clear to Iran that a major escalation would have serious consequences for the stability of President Peseschkian's new government.

Meanwhile, Egypt banned its airlines from flying over the Iranian capital Tehran early on Thursday morning. "All Egyptian airlines should avoid flights over Tehran," said a safety notice issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in Cairo. Plans for flights over this area would be rejected. The instruction was valid for three hours from 3 a.m. (CEST). The aviation authority referred to a warning from the Iranian authorities that military exercises were planned in the country at around the same time.

Jordan had previously issued a warning to airlines to prepare aircraft in the airspace of the kingdom, which borders Israel, for a possible attack by Iran. All arriving aircraft should be refueled in advance with fuel for an additional 45-minute flight, it said.

Meanwhile, the information center of the international airport in Tehran described the situation in Iranian airspace as normal. Only some airlines, such as Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, have suspended their flights to Tehran for the time being due to a possible military conflict with Israel. Turkish Airlines at least stopped its night flights.

Lebanon's health sector plans for an emergency

Due to the threat of escalation, hospitals in Lebanon are preparing for an emergency. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the hospitals in the economically shaken country have a supply for around four months. However, should the country's ports or airports also become targets in the event of an escalation and become inoperable, the supplies of the largest public hospital, the Rafik Hariri Clinic, for example, would last for a maximum of ten days, director Jihad Saadeh told dpa. Should it be flooded with patients, supplies could run out after just a few days.

Following the killing of Hamas foreign leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran and the killing of the military commander of the Hezbollah militia in an Israeli attack in Beirut, the danger of a major war in the Middle East is palpable. According to 57 Islamic states, the Jewish state is also "fully responsible" for the killing of Haniya. The attack was a "blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter", according to the final declaration of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) following an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Islamic countries: fight for Palestinians now even stronger

The fight for justice for the Palestinians will now be intensified, said the Foreign Minister of Gambia, Mamadou Tangara, whose country currently holds the presidency of the organization. Israel has not yet commented on Haniya's death. According to US media, he was killed by a bomb.

Meanwhile, Hamas is said to have confirmed the role of the chief negotiator for the talks on a ceasefire in the embattled Gaza Strip. Chalil al-Haja will also represent Hamas in the changed power structure in the indirect negotiations and will be subject to the instructions of its new leader Jihia al-Sinwar, the Saudi Arabian TV station Al Hadath reported, citing three Palestinian sources, including a Hamas official. Haniya was considered Hamas' chief diplomat until his death.

Unlike his predecessor Hanija, who led a life of luxury in Qatar as chairman of the Hamas politburo, Sinwar has been in hiding since the massacre he commanded in the Israeli border area on October 7. He is believed to be somewhere in the extensive network of tunnels under the blockaded coastal strip. It is still uncertain how the concentration of power within Hamas in Sinwar's hands will affect the efforts to achieve a ceasefire. So far, he has been adamant and strictly refused to compromise with Israel.

SDA