Iran's New President Battling IRGC Hardliners Over Tempering Response To Israel: Telegraph

While Western mainstream media in general has a terrible record of reporting on Iran and its intentions, a fresh report in The Telegraph comes to an interesting conclusion concerning the prospect of major war breaking out with Israel.

It claims that there is an ongoing severe internal split among Iran's top decision-makers on how to respond to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Well over a week after the July 31st assassination, and the ballistic missiles have still been held back, despite several vows of severe retaliation against Israel being issued from Iranian leadership.

New Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is said to be fighting hardliners especially within the military establishment, specifically leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), over the extent of a response. Pezeshkian reportedly wants a toned down and limited response, akin to the April 13th missile and drone attack on Israel - which was something highly telegraphed and thus averted all-out war. The IRGC is ready to launch a much bigger operation, the report says.

Pezeshkian, widely viewed as a 'moderate', wants to strike hidden Mossad spy bases in the region, while IRGC generals have pressed for more aggressive retaliation which is direct in nature, The Telegraph says. According to the publication's sources within the Iranian government:

"These recent [military]exercises in the country’s western border are just to intimidate Mr Pezeshkian. Sepah [the IRGC] is very insistent on targeting Israel and they think it is easy," a second aide to Mr Pezeshkian told The Telegraph.

"He has suggested targeting somewhere related to Israel in the Republic of Azerbaijan or [Iraqi] Kurdistan and let these countries know before that and get done with the whole drama."

The Telegraph report further paints a picture of a somewhat rogue IRGC leadership which has by and large dismissed the newly installed president as too weak.

The IRGC is directly answerable to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, so if this is accurate it means there is currently some distance between the Ayatollah and Pezeshkian's office as well.

The UK-based report says an IRGC official has conveyed: "The number one consideration is still striking Tel Aviv with Hezbollah and others at the same time." The official is further cited as saying, "There has been discussion within the forces on how to block Mr. Pezeshkian’s efforts. Almost everyone believes what he is insisting on is not in the revolution’s reputation."

But again, whether the report detailing this alleged back-and-forth between moderate and conservative factions within Iran over how to respond to Israel is accurate remains an open question.