Diplomats in frenzied effort to avert Middle East conflict 

In the wake of the dramatic eliminations of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, US and EU diplomats are urgently working to prevent a full-blown regional conflict.

According to The Financial Times, Enrique Mora, one of the EU’s most senior diplomats, is engaged in critical discussions in Iran’s capital. These talks come after the killing of Haniyeh, which Iran has blamed on Israel.

Simultaneously, Brett McGurk, the White House’s top official for the Middle East, is in Saudi Arabia holding discussions with regional officials. The primary goal of these high-stakes negotiations is to persuade Tehran to either refrain from retaliating or to limit any response to symbolic actions rather than a full-scale military retaliation.

Adding to the urgency, The New York Times reported that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly ordered a direct strike on Israel in retaliation for the elimination of Haniyeh. This directive, given at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, signifies a severe escalation of tensions.