London’s daily The Telegraph posted a lengthy article yesterday reporting that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is battling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over whether to directly target Israel in response to the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Given the overall environment of preparations for a war against Iran and undermining of the country’s government, this report should not be taken as gospel, but it still merits consideration.
“Mr. Pezeshkian fears that any direct attack on Israel would have serious consequences,” said a close aide to the President. “He mentioned that we were lucky that Iran did not go to an all-out war with Israel last time and maybe not this time,” they added, referring to the April 13 attack, when Iran fired more than 300 suicide drones and missiles at Israel.
The IRGC’s insistence on targeting Israel is “more about undermining his week-long presidency rather than covering the humiliation they have suffered,” said the presidential aide who spoke to The Telegraph from Tehran.
