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Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/11/25/iran-fears-israeli-counterattack-rising-lion/
Iran Expected to Delay the Next Conflict in Order to Recover
(Israel Hayom) Danny Zaken - A senior official told Israel Hayom that Iran, Hizbullah, and the Houthis are not expected to directly respond to the elimination of Hizbullah Chief of Staff Haytham Ali Tabatabai. Tehran risks a harsh Israeli counterattack and simply cannot absorb more military losses like those sustained during the 12-day war in June. Though Iran is working to rebuild its air defense capabilities and reportedly received aid from China, Israeli estimates suggest this will not significantly challenge Israel's absolute control of Iranian airspace. Moreover, Iran is experiencing a particularly dire economic and infrastructural crisis. Sogand Fakheri, an Iran Desk analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), said that the "quiet disintegration" of the country is a concept frequently discussed in Iranian domestic media. "However, it seems the disintegration is not quiet, the government is not functioning," she said. Sagiv Asulin, a senior researcher at the JCFA and an Iran expert, noted, "The Iranians are the world champions in word games, negotiation, and haggling in the Middle Eastern and global bazaar, so there is a big difference between what they say and what will materialize. They are willing to heat up the atmosphere with belligerent statements, but in their current condition, they might play a game to the edge, but nothing beyond that, and therefore the answer to the question of whether they will initiate an actual attack is almost certainly 'no.'" Both Asulin and the senior official agree that Iran intends to delay the next conflict for as long as possible to allow itself time to recover, and wait for more favorable conditions.