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Source: https://www.ft.com/content/d1dac425-36a1-4356-bec6-fb7d41ca82e4
Israeli Attacks Feed Distrust and Fear in Iran
(Financial Times-UK) Najmeh Bozorgmehr - Iran's intelligence minister and the Revolutionary Guard's intelligence chief this month decided to curb their rivalry and posed for a joint photograph, speaking to the anxiety at the highest levels of the Iranian establishment about an uptick in attacks in Iran attributed to Israel. "It feels as if Israel has established a large-scale organization in Tehran and freely runs its operations," said a reformist politician. "Israel is clearly targeting Iran's 'highly secure' image." Israel's national security adviser Eyal Hulata said last week, "We've acted quite a lot in Iran over the past year." "Iran's policy remains to work with its proxy forces and we will not initiate any attacks against Israel if Israel doesn't attack Lebanon [Hizbullah is Iran's main proxy force]," said a regime insider. "It's not wise for us to fight with Israel. And Zionists also show teeth to attack." Former Guards commander Mohammad-Ali Jafari last month referred to the enemy's "psychological operations" that create the perception of Israeli involvement in attacks "that have not been carried out by them." "Who gives information to Israelis? Those inside the system must be doing it," said Ali, a bazaar merchant. "We feel safe but then who knows; maybe the system is falling apart from inside similar to the USSR."