Tehran : The devil known might be better than the devil unknown. Israel and the US seem to have brought a far bigger problem with their military campaign in Iran, and eliminating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his officials. One, the bleak assessment brings about a bigger problem for Israel, which faces an existential threat from Iran. Second, it comes at a time when the world was banking on two parallel peace talks for some respite from the war in the Middle East.
IDF representatives told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee in a closed-door intelligence briefing about the “more extreme” Iranian regime, reported The Times of Israel on Friday. Two sources told The Times of Israel Hebrew that the leaders of the current regime were drawn from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), “who are considered to be far more ideologically rigid than the previous political leadership”.
The Israeli Air Force carried out more than 1,000 strike missions inside Iran as part of over 8,500 operational sorties conducted throughout the campaign,” reported i24News on Friday. The IDF said it hit around 4,000 targets. After all the destruction and pain to the world, Israel’s assessment is that they have a bigger problem.
In Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement marking 40 days since the death of his predecessor, Ali Khamenei, and addressing the war. “Iran does not seek war, but it will not compromise its rights,” he said, while asserting that “despite the damage and blows inflicted by the enemy, our armed forces turned the war into a great victory.” He also warned regional actors, saying, “We tell Iran’s southern neighbors that you are witnessing a miracle… be suspicious of the false promises of the devils.”
Separately, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Thursday that Tehran had been on the verge of responding to a recent ceasefire violation but was held back following intervention by Pakistan. He added that the coming hours remain “very critical” for the region.
Israeli officials said the shift in Iran’s leadership structure, following the elimination of previous figures, has resulted in a system more heavily dominated by the Revolutionary Guards. According to the assessment presented in the Knesset, this leadership is viewed as more hardline and less responsive to political considerations, raising concerns about future escalation and the prospects for sustained de-escalation.
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