Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps disagreed on the response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, with the former suggesting the Islamic Republic target secret Israeli bases, according to a Friday report in the Telegraph.
While the IRGC reportedly wants to attack Tel Aviv and other cities directly, the president fears the consequences and suggested attacking Israel’s “secret bases” in neighboring countries instead.
This is part of ongoing disputes between the new president and the IRGC, with Pezeshkian being considered more moderate than his predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi.
The decision is in the hands of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who serves as the country’s Commander-in-Chief.
Iran has previously attacked what it claims are Mossad “spy bases” in Iraqi Kurdistan in multiple strikes in January, which killed several civilians, including a local millionaire and his family.
Alternative targets for an Iranian strike could be in Azerbaijan, with the plan to warn them ahead of time.
A power struggle in Tehran
Sources told the Telegraph that the IRGC was attempting to undermine the Pezeshkian and were pushing for more aggressive retaliation.
“Mr. Pezeshkian fears that any direct attack on Israel would have serious consequences,” a close aide to the president told the Telegraph.
“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,” the aide said, referring to the April attack on Israel.
The IRGC’s insistence on targeting Israel is “more about undermining his week-long presidency rather than covering the humiliation they have suffered,” the aide continued.
They added that the president “does not feel humiliated as it happened hours after he was sworn in.”
There have been some rumors that Hezbollah may attack on its own, with some in Iran wanting to let Hezbollah handle the response and simply provide them with more sophisticated weapons.
IRGC officials, however, are reportedly still intent on striking Tel Aviv in coordination with their “Ring of Fire” proxy groups.
Sources in Iran are speculating about possible internal power struggles between Pezeshkian’s newly ascendant faction and the IRGC, with both trying to set the tone for the new regime.
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