Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has recently taken office, urgently appealed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to refrain from launching an assault on Israel, fearing it could spark a conflict across the entire region, according to Iran International, a London-based news outlet serving the Iranian opposition.
Sources who wished to remain anonymous informed Iran International that there is a split within the Iranian government regarding whether to take action against Israel in response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, where he had come to attend Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony.
For the past week, both Iran and its Supreme Leader have been promising retaliation against Israel for Haniyeh’s death, despite Israel not admitting any involvement. Additionally, the Hezbollah militant group, a significant Iranian proxy, has vowed revenge for the death of one of its top figures, Fuad Shukr, who was killed shortly before Haniyeh.
Reports suggest that Pezeshkian is worried that an Iranian strike on Israel could provoke a severe retaliatory response from Israel, leading to catastrophic damage to Iran’s infrastructure and economy, and potentially resulting in the downfall of the Islamic Republic.
It remains unclear whether Khamenei was persuaded by Pezeshkian’s plea or if he still plans to pursue an attack on Israel.
In April, Iran launched an unprecedented assault on Israel in retaliation for the killing of a senior Iranian general in Syria. This attack involved more than 300 missiles and drones, including ballistic and cruise missiles. Almost all of these were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States and several NATO and Arab countries. An Israeli Defense Forces base in southern Israel sustained minor damage, and a seven-year-old Bedouin girl was critically injured. She has recently been discharged from the hospital after three months of recovery.
In response to Iran’s large-scale offensive, Israel refrained from a direct counterattack due to American pressure. Instead, Israel carried out a relatively restrained strike on Iran’s military base in Isfahan, showcasing its ability to hit Iranian targets and bypass Iranian air defenses without escalating the situation further at that time.
{Matzav.com}