(Jerusalem Post) Alex Winston - Mohsen Sazegara, founder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told the Jerusalem Post in an interview: "The alleged assassination of [Hamas chief] Ismail Haniyeh, in the heart of Tehran, in one of the most protected places, was a humiliation for the intelligence organizations of Iran....[Khamenei's] first reaction was that we retaliate and don't stop. But when he referred to his military commanders and the experts in the IRGC, and they should present the options of what to do, they told him that Iran is not in a position to fight Israel." "They don't have any strategic balance. They can send missiles toward Israel, especially hypersonic missiles that can reach Israel in six to eight minutes. But when Israel retaliates, then we can't defend the country, especially air defense, Khamenei's commanders told him." "As far as I know, Iran, behind the scenes, negotiated with the U.S. and the Biden administration and asked them to talk to Israel, stating that Iran would attack somewhere in Israel, and promise nobody will be killed, but Israel should not retaliate. Iran asked the U.S. to put pressure on Israel not to retaliate enough to escalate. But this time, the U.S. did not agree and told them that we can't prevent Israel."
2024-08-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive