NBC News spoke to several residents of Tehran as their leaders rejected Western calls<\/a> to refrain from an attack that the United States has indicated could come this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not the kind of person who agrees with war or attacks at all,\u201d said Omid, an IT specialist. \u201cIn this case, Iranian leaders should consider that publicly attacking Israel to showcase military power could have significant economic and political costs for Iran, especially given the current chaotic economic situation,\u201d said Omid, who did not want his last name used out of fear of repercussions for speaking out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no doubt that if Iran were to attack, Israel would retaliate, he said, and no one can predict what might happen next. \u201cIf Iranian leaders are determined to pursue retaliation, they should do so covertly and without leaving evidence,\u201d added Omid, 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A billboard in Tehran on Monday shows a portrait of newly appointed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.\u00a9 Atta Kenare<\/p>\n\n\n\n The country\u2019s newly installed president, Masoud Pezeshkian, was elected on a reformist platform last month<\/a> and is most likely mulling the potential domestic ramifications of a spiraling conflict for a nation already reeling from years of crushing sanctions, as well as crackdowns on dissent after a wave of mass demonstrations<\/a> in 2022 shook the foundations of the Islamic Republic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, 62, was assassinated in the Iranian capital last month<\/a> after attending Pezeshkian\u2019s inauguration. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of orchestrating the killing. Israel has not commented on the matter but is widely believed to have carried out the attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Iran vowed \u201csevere punishment\u201d<\/a> for the assassination, but there remains a lot of uncertainty about when and how it could act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n President Joe Biden suggested Tuesday that Tehran may not retaliate at all if a cease-fire deal is reached to end the war in Gaza<\/a> and free remaining hostages. A new round of talks is due to commence Thursday in Qatar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the U.S. and its allies scrambled to try to ward off a broader conflict, Pezeshkian said during a call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that it was Iran\u2019s \u201clegal right\u201d to respond. Foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani<\/a> on Tuesday dismissed Western calls for Iran to avoid escalating tensions in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accusing Israel of having violated Iran\u2019s \u201csovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d by killing Haniyeh in Tehran, Kanaani said the calls for Iran to de-escalate \u201clack political logic\u201d and \u201camount to open and practical support for the source of international crimes and terrorism in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But some in Tehran told NBC News that Iran could keep Israel on its toes without a major retaliation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo attack needed,\u201d Nima Hosseini, a government worker, said. \u201cA response in kind and in due time is a better alternative. Of course keeping Israel on high alert via rhetoric and verbal threats can be a smart strategy this time around,\u201d Hosseini, 50, said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Families attend an exhibition at Azadi Square in Tehran on Tuesday.\u00a9 Atta Kenare<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others sounded worried about the prospect of Iran being sucked into a wider conflict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is no one in the world who likes war, but I am very worried about it,\u201d Taha Azimi, 40, a construction worker, said. \u201cI believe that Iran will definitely respond to Israel\u2019s attacks to regain its dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Haniyeh\u2019s assassination is \u201cunacceptable\u201d for the leaders of Iran, he said, given that the killing of an important political partner in Tehran has caused many problems for them both inside and outside the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor example, people inside the country think that the government does not have the ability to control the security of the capital or people outside conclude that there are many spies in Iran\u2019s security system,\u201d Azimi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iran launched a limited retaliatory attack against Israel in April<\/a>, the first time Tehran had directly attacked the Jewish state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Delaram Nemati, 30, who works for an architecture firm, said Iran will carry out the same limited strike this time around, \u201cwithout any danger.\u201d Still, she is worried that even that could lead to a wide-scale conflict. \u201cI worry about war but try not to think about it,\u201d Nemati said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amin Khodadadi reported from Tehran, and Yuliya Talmazan reported from London.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published on NBCNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1oNTej.img?w=768&h=512&m=6&x=481&y=96&s=466&d=275\" "\\"A")
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