In Iran, radicals reportedly obstructed negotiations with the US, NYT says
In Iran, the radical wing of the government, according to the Jerusalem Post, citing The New York Times, obstructed negotiations with the United States and secured a decision to escalate the conflict. As NYT writes, the situation is complicated by the absence of public appearances by Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, since his appointment in March.
Shelling of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
In July, Iranian forces fired on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz without the prior knowledge or authorization of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Five Iranian officials and two IRGC members told NYT about this.
According to them, the decision to attack the vessels was made by cleric and intelligence chief Hossein Taeb, who had opposed a peaceful agreement with the United States from the outset. Khamenei recently appointed Taeb as head of the paramilitary Basij militia.
After the July strikes, Iranian officials exchanged accusations of treason, while quarrels and threats of resignation emerged. The authorities sought to explain the attacks as the actions of operatives beyond their control, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman to try to reduce tensions in relations with the United States.
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Doubts over contacts with Khamenei
Written statements and messages on behalf of Mojtaba Khamenei continue to be published, but some officials, including Pezeshkian, question their authenticity, according to NYT. The president said that he had met Khamenei in May, but did not specify where or when it happened.
Two officials and a former official told NYT that Pezeshkian was driven in an ambulance with tinted windows while a secure video connection was being set up with a person who identified himself as Khamenei’s intermediary and allegedly relayed messages between them. According to the sources, the president told an ally that he was not sure whether he had actually spoken with the supreme leader.
Differences over escalation
Against the backdrop of a deadlock in relations with the United States, different Iranian factions are proposing different approaches. Radically minded generals, including the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Brigadier General Seyed Majid Mousavi, are promoting a plan to intensify attacks involving Iran-allied groups, including the Houthis in Yemen and armed Shiite groups in Iraq, as well as strikes on regional oil facilities.
Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who took part in negotiations with the United States, warned that this plan could cause an economic catastrophe and new US airstrikes. As of last Saturday, radicals had prevailed, according to NYT, and Iran decided to intensify the conflict.
