Washington Post: Qatar has asked Iran to refrain from a possible attack on Israel

Qatar, which is one of the mediators in the Doha negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, has requested Iran to refrain from a possible attack on Israel to prevent the destruction of this process. The American newspaper "Washington Post" reported in its issue on Friday, August 26, citing statements from two diplomats close to these negotiations, that this request was made by Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, during a phone call with leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Doha negotiations began on Thursday in the Qatari capital based on a plan by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, with the participation of the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar. Representatives of the extremist group Hamas have refused to attend this meeting, but the mediators are keeping them informed of the discussions. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. According to the Washington Post, one diplomat said the Prime Minister of Qatar, in his phone call, "encouraged Iran to reduce tensions and emphasized the need for calm." Israel assesses a possible attack by Hezbollah and Iran as "still imminent." The second diplomat stated that Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned Iran about the horrific consequences of carrying out an attack at a time when signs of diplomatic progress are visible. Two American and Israeli officials described the results of the first day's discussions as "constructive." Joe Biden's proposed plan is a three-phase process, with the first phase including a "complete ceasefire" for six weeks. In this phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from "all densely populated areas of Gaza," and Hamas will release "a number" of hostages it kidnapped during the attack on October 7 last year, including women, the elderly, and the injured. In the second phase, which will also last six weeks, Israeli forces will completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and Hamas will release "all remaining live hostages." Iran and Hezbollah have been speaking for weeks about revenge against Israel for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, in Tehran, and Foad Shukr, a senior military commander of Hezbollah. Ismail Haniyeh was killed on the morning of July 31, shortly after attending the inauguration of Iran's new president while he was at a special guest security residence in a complex affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards in northern Tehran. Iran has attributed his death to Israel, but Israel has not taken responsibility in this regard. Since then, Israeli armed forces have been on full alert, and John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, said on Thursday that an Iranian attack could be imminent and without prior warning. While it is still unclear what Iran's reaction to Qatar's warning has been, according to the Washington Post, indications suggest restraint from Hezbollah. The newspaper quoted a source close to Hezbollah as saying, "We can say that Hezbollah will not take retaliatory action during the Doha negotiations because this group does not want to hinder the potential agreement." He added, "One can wait for retaliatory action."