US and European Union diplomats are engaged in urgent talks, aiming to avert the threat of a large-scale regional war in the Middle East, according to the Financial Times. The impetus for these discussions was the elimination of leaders from the Islamic movements Hezbollah and Hamas as a result of Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and Tehran. Western diplomatic pressure is mounting amid growing concerns about a broader regional conflict, as Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate for these attacks. Officials said that the talks have focused on convincing Tehran either not to respond or to take o…