Washington Post: The Islamic Republic is Concerned About the 'Neutralization' of Its Nuclear Program in Case of a Major Attack on Israel

The Washington Post reports that, contrary to the public threats from Iranian officials regarding a 'major attack' on Israel and 'severe revenge' for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, they are privately worried about the response from Israel and the United States. Therefore, any potential attack on Israel may be smaller and more limited than the missile attack in April. The American newspaper, in its report published on Monday, states that informed sources from private meetings between Islamic Republic officials and their proxy leaders indicate that the Islamic Republic has called for caution and is seeking a way to balance the desire to show power while preventing a full-scale war in the region. According to the report, the Islamic Republic, which previously attacked Israel in April with over 300 drones and missiles, is politically in a more unstable situation domestically this time. The April attack did not escalate into a widespread war because Israel and the U.S.-backed coalition intercepted and destroyed most of the missiles and drones. The Washington Post writes that an Israeli official stated on Monday that the latest Israeli assessment is that the Islamic Republic is planning another direct attack, which may occur soon. A Lebanese individual with close ties to the Hezbollah militia, who has been in contact with Tehran, also mentioned that 'the Iranians and their allies are behaving cautiously.' He noted that in recent meetings, the Islamic Republic expressed concern that a full-scale conflict could be used as a pretext to 'neutralize Iran's nuclear deterrence,' allowing Israel and the United States to attack Iran's nuclear program. A similar sentiment was expressed by a member of the Iraqi parliament closely connected to Iran-backed militias in Iraq: 'Iran has told us it will have a limited response,' as the Islamic Republic does not want to escalate the war. Ali Asghar Shafieyan, a media advisor for the election campaign of Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of Iran's fourteenth government, stated that Tehran's reaction to Israel is unlikely to replicate the hours-long barrage of missiles and drones from April. He told the Washington Post that the killing of Ismail Haniyeh was 'an intelligence mission' and 'Iran's response will have a similar nature and will be at a similar level.' Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said on Thursday, August 9, to the Persian section of Voice of America that the escalation of 'conflict could harm Iran's economy.' Hamas, the Palestinian group that some countries, including the U.S. and Israel, consider terrorist, is supported by the Iranian government. Opponents of the Islamic Republic have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the government's expenditure of substantial resources to support militia and terrorist groups in the region. Prince Reza Pahlavi, in response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, called him a 'super criminal' and stated that 'Ismail Haniyeh should never have set foot on Iranian soil,' and his presence was 'an insult to our country and people.' He described the Islamic Republic's intention for a potential attack on Israel in retaliation for Haniyeh's killing as 'Khamenei's game with fire' and stated that this war is not the war of the Iranian people. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, previously stated that his country is in a 'multi-front war against the axis of evil of Iran' and emphasized that Israel is 'prepared for any scenario, whether offensive or defensive.' Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. The U.S. warned that the escalation of conflict could harm Iran's economy. The FBI is investigating the 'hack of Trump's campaign headquarters' by the Islamic Republic. The Israeli Defense Minister warned Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic about the country's 'unprecedented response.' The arrival of F-22 fighter jets in the Middle East was stated by CENTCOM to be in response to threats from Iran and Tehran's proxy groups. Israeli fighter jets attacked several Hezbollah buildings in southern Lebanon. A message from Washington to Tehran indicated that an American official stated that Iran would suffer a significant blow with a major attack against Israel. The Jordanian Foreign Minister stated that they will not allow their country to become a battlefield for any party. Tensions in the Middle East have led several foreign airlines to cancel flights to Tel Aviv.