Advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Republic: Officials are Preparing a Response to Israel

Ali Larijani, senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that military and political officials in Iran are preparing a response to Israel and are currently examining various strategies and methods of action. In an interview published by the Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, on Sunday, December 4, he mentioned that the details of this response will not be disclosed for now due to its relation to 'national security.' He added, 'However, the fundamental adjustment of Israel's calculations remains in place.' Following the military attack by Israel on Iranian military sites on November 5, officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly spoken about responding to this attack and executing Operation 'Promise of the Truth 3.' Iran directly attacked Israeli territory twice with drones and cruise and ballistic missiles on April 25 and October 10. On November 28, Ismail Baqaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, announced that the Islamic Republic intends to give a 'decisive response' to Israel's airstrike on Iranian soil. Before him, the President, Foreign Minister, and senior military commanders of Iran had also threatened Israel with retaliation. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message to the Iranian people published on November 22, warned that if the Islamic Republic of Iran attacks the country for the third time, its economy will be paralyzed. He also claimed on November 28 that Israel destroyed part of Iran's nuclear program and its S-300 defenses in the November 5 attack. In another part of his interview, Larijani discussed the rise of Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, and the 'loosening of Israel's hands,' stating that it remains to be seen whether Trump’s America sees its interests in continuing the Democrats' approach 'that has brought the region down' or if they want to make a 'shift in accordance with America's national interests.' Larijani noted that signs have been given that they want to end warmongering in the region and focus on other priorities, as he stated, 'Warfare in the region causes them to suffer power erosion.' This member of the Expediency Discernment Council had previously mentioned in an interview with the Leader's website about an agreement with Trump's administration, urging 'the new American officials' to give the necessary concessions for a new agreement. He wrote on the social media platform X that the new American officials must 'accept Iran's conditions and agree to the necessary concessions, including compensating Iran for damages and similar matters.' Larijani had previously stated in an interview published on the Leader's website that if Trump's government accepts the new conditions of the Islamic Republic, Iran would also commit to not moving towards producing nuclear weapons despite enriching uranium to 60%. He regarded the increase in the volume and purity of uranium enrichment in Iran as a sign of the West's failure in 'advancing its demands regarding Iran through pressure.' Following the recent resolution passed by the Board of Governors of the IAEA against Iran, the Islamic Republic quickly announced the launch of another set of new centrifuges; a move that could pave the way for referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council and activating the trigger mechanism, especially with little time left before the expiration date of the JCPOA.