Report: Iranian president battling IRGC to tamp down retaliation, avoid all-out war

The UK-based Telegraph reports that new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian is fighting hardliners to tone down the scale of Tehran’s response to Israel over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

According to the report, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is pushing for a missile attack on Tel Aviv and other cities targeting military facilities.

But Pezeshkian, fearing all-out war with Israel, is pushing for Iran to instead hit undisclosed Mossad spy bases hidden around the region.

“He has suggested targeting somewhere related to Israel in the Republic of Azerbaijan or [Iraqi] Kurdistan and let these countries know before that and get done with the whole drama,” an aide tells the paper.

An IRGC official says nobody in the organization, which is loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is paying much attention to Pezeshkian.

“The number one consideration is still striking Tel Aviv with Hezbollah and others at the same time,” the official says. “There has been discussion within the forces on how to block Mr. Pezeshkian’s efforts. Almost everyone believes what he is insisting on is not in the revolution’s reputation.”