Tehran has put off for now any retaliatory strike for assassination of Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil, thus giving rise to apprehensions that Israel may escape retribution yet again for excesses it has been committing not just against Palestinians but also Iran, which leads what has come to be regarded as the 'axis of resistance' in the Middle East. This may be good news for the region in the short term, but bad for the world in the long run.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on the last day of July and Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had stated immediately afterwards that avenging Israel's abhorrent action was a "duty" because he was martyred during a visit to Iran. This means a full month has passed since that statement and yet Iran has not launched any direct or indirect strike on Israel.

Lebanon-based resistance group Hezbollah has indeed carried out several attacks inside Israel in retaliation for the killing of its own leader Fuad Shukr, who was assassinated during an air strike on Beirut shortly before Haniyeh's death, but any attack by Iran has yet to materialise. No strike has been carried out despite repeated assertions by Iranian officials that an attack would definitely take place.

British news agency Reuters then quoted three senior Iranian officials as saying that "only a ceasefire deal in Gaza stemming from hoped-for talks this week would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel". A senior security........

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