Qatar’s PM warned Iran that an attack could endanger diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged Iran to hold off on an attack on Israel to avoid harming the ongoing Doha hostage talks in a phone call with Iran’s leadership, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

The report cited two diplomats familiar with a phone call between the two leaders.

Iran vowed to attack Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Despite anticipation in Israel and around the world, the attack has yet to come. Al Thani warned Iran that an attack may further risk the current Gaza ceasefire discussions, which Hamas has refused to participate in.

Why would Iran wait to attack?

One of the diplomats told the Post that Al Thani “encouraged Iran to de-escalate and stressed the need for calm” during the call. A second diplomat said the Qatari PM warned Iran to consider the impact an attack could have on current diplomatic efforts. Ceasefire negotiations have reached their second day in Doha, with current talks centering around the terms of a 6-week ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of IDF forces from some areas in exchange for the release of some of the remaining hostages abducted by terrorists during Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

“We can say that Hezbollah will not launch its retaliation operation during the Qatar talks because the party does not want to be held accountable for obstructing the talks or a potential deal,” an unnamed individual tied to Hezbollah told the Post. “The retaliation can wait.“

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