Experts: Israel's Military Operations Render IRGC Rhetoric Ineffective

Alireza Noorizadeh, director of the Center for Iran and Arab Studies, responded on Voice of America's evening news program to the question of why the targets Israel attacked in its strikes against the Islamic Republic differed from previously expected objectives. He stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received enough 'concessions' from U.S. President Joe Biden to justify 'lowering the flame' ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. This journalist and expert on Iranian and Middle Eastern affairs rejected the notion that Israel intended to inflict harm solely to send a message to the leaders of the Islamic Republic, asserting that the strikes targeted military facilities and drone or missile production, indicating that Netanyahu did not back down. He further explained that the idea of Israel striking the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic was not a valid one, adding that Israel's focus this time was on targeting missile and drone production areas or their usage. According to Alireza Noorizadeh, although 'Israel did not meet our expectations,' it 'achieved its military objectives.' Kambiz Ghafouri, another guest on the Voice of America news segment, noted that if Israel did not strike nuclear facilities, refineries that would cause difficulties for people traveling in Iran, or power plants that would plunge Iran into darkness, all of this relates back to the upcoming elections in the U.S. He recalled the rhetoric of IRGC officials who claimed that if Israel attacked, 'its planes would have no place to land on the way back' or that 'Tel Aviv and Haifa would be leveled,' stating that Israel's attack 'broke a taboo' and neutralized the IRGC's rhetoric, demonstrating that Israel could strike 'anywhere' it wanted in Iran. Kambiz Ghafouri believed that the Israeli attack and the Islamic Republic's inability to defend its airspace would alter the Islamic Republic's calculations. He discussed why Israel did not use very powerful bombs like those used in Gaza or Lebanon in its recent attack on Islamic Republic targets, attributing one reason to U.S. pressure and another to the necessity of first weakening Iran's air defense. If Israel had struck the S-300 air defense facilities, it would have greater operational freedom in the future, as these systems are not easily replaceable, especially since Russia needs them due to the war in Ukraine. Alireza Noorizadeh commented on the Islamic Republic's proxy forces in the region, stating that Hezbollah was a giant and Hamas was a power even before October 7, both of which have been 'crushed' by Israeli attacks. He mentioned that Israel is taking various tools from the Islamic Republic and that one should also be wary of the Houthis. He added that as long as Khamenei's slogan is the destruction of Israel and the Jews, Israel will not abandon this issue. He believes that the Islamic Republic is not only anti-Israel but also anti-Jewish. Noorizadeh stated that the Israeli attack was a test for them and that it has shown its effectiveness, asserting that there is no end in sight for the confrontation between Israel and the Islamic Republic, and one of them must be eliminated; given the West and U.S. support for Israel, it will not be Israel that is eliminated. Kambiz Ghafouri referred to the sentiments of the Iranian people, stating that the feeling Iranians have towards the Islamic Republic is similar to the feeling the French had towards the occupation of their country by Nazi Germany, as they supported British bombings because they view the current government as an occupier. Alireza Noorizadeh echoed this sentiment, stating that no Iranian wants to see a foreign attack on Iran, but Netanyahu was clever in stating that he is not at war with the Iranian people. Kambiz Ghafouri discussed the Islamic Republic's efforts to downplay the significance of the Israeli attack, claiming 'nothing happened' and threatening citizens with imprisonment if they write about the attack, comparing these actions to when they denied responsibility for the shooting down of the Ukrainian passenger plane or the Israeli theft of nuclear documents from Torqozabad, or denying the previous Israeli attack on military facilities in Isfahan until a former IRGC commander revealed it. Hossein Aghaei, a researcher, stated that the Islamic Republic has 'completely' lost its deterrent power. An Israeli general stated that they attacked the Islamic Republic's 'strategic systems.' Israel dismissed the Islamic Republic's claims about the illegality of the attacks as 'ridiculous.' What we know so far about the damages from the Israeli attack on Islamic Republic positions. Gallant on the 'precise' attack on the Islamic Republic: nowhere is too far for Israel. Reports: Israel has 'broken the backbone' of the Islamic Republic's missile industry.