Balancing Act: US Efforts for Ceasefire Amidst Tensions and Iranian Responses

A report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

There is a race between efforts for calm and total war. This is the current reality amid US efforts with the Iranians to deter them from retaliating for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran by securing a ceasefire deal in Gaza, which also affects southern Lebanon.

In this context, reports have mentioned that the US has offered political incentives for Iran, while mediators have advised that a total war would not be in the best interest for the Iranians. They are advised to reconsider the nature of their response, especially since the assassination of Haniyeh did not involve Iranian casualties.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to these efforts, asserting the right to an appropriate response to Haniyeh’s assassination.

He stated that if the US and Western countries wish to prevent the outbreak of war and the spread of security deterioration in the region, they must immediately halt arms sales and support to the Zionist entity, compel it to stop the genocide and attacks on Gaza, and accept a ceasefire.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations echoed these sentiments, stating that they are pursuing two goals simultaneously: First, achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of occupiers from it. Second, punishing the aggressors for the assassination of Haniyeh and preventing the recurrence of the Zionist entity's terrorist aggression.

The concerned Arab states are not far removed from these developments, especially Egypt and Qatar, which have expressed dissatisfaction with the US for not exerting more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease fire in Gaza.

Cairo and Doha are participating in efforts to de-escalate tensions on both the Gaza and Lebanese fronts. In this context, Lebanese Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib's visit to Cairo was part of these efforts, and preparations are underway for a visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atti to Beirut to express support for Lebanon and try to prevent the Lebanese front from becoming the trigger for a total war.

In this context, there has also been a notable resurgence in French diplomatic efforts to secure a place for Paris alongside the Americans in any ongoing settlement.

President Emmanuel Macron’s call to the Iranian President on Wednesday highlighted this, and French diplomatic sources have indicated upcoming talks involving French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in the region, with potential discussions starting from Lebanon and possibly including Israel, Jordan, and other regional countries.