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Iran ‘checkmated’ by Nasrallah killing, split over potential response

Iran’s Supreme Leader releases cautious statement standing by Hezbollah, but refuses to commit to rescuing the terror group.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran’s senior leadership is currently roiled by internal debate on the country’s response to the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Over the past three decades, Tehran is believed to have invested billions of dollars in training and arming Hezbollah, making it the largest Iranian proxy group threatening Israel in the region.

The Israeli Air Force airstrikes that killed Nasrallah last Friday night come days after beeper explosions – widely attributed to Israel – and intensive bombing campaigns throughout Lebanon seriously crippled Hezbollah’s military capabilities.

According to a New York Times report, Iranian officials’ opinions are split as to how Tehran should proceed, following Nasrallah’s slaying.

If Iran was to directly attack Israel, that would grant the Jewish State casus belli to strike sensitive sites inside of Iran, such as its nuclear development centers and oil fields.

But failing to respond to Nasrallah’s killing would make Iran appear weak in the eyes of its proxies and the Muslim world.

Iran is “completely checkmated by Israel at this moment,” Sanam Vakil, the director for Middle East at Chatham House, told the Times.

Moderates, such as recently-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, have signaled that they are in favor of a “limited” response to the strike.

Conversely, conservatives are urging Iran to assume a “forceful” retaliatory posture.

“Israel has attacked the nucleus cell of the resistance and thus we cannot be indifferent,” said an influential cleric, Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari.

Ultimately, all decisions are made by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

“All of the forces in the resistance stand by Hezbollah,” Khamenei said in a recent public statement. “It will be Hezbollah, at the helm of the resistance forces, that will determine the fate of the region.”

Those remarks are notable, as they could indicate that Iran is unwilling to intervene in order to save Hezbollah, as the terror group endures ongoing blows from Israel.

“Khamenei’s statement is indicative of the gravity of the moment and the caution,” Vakil said. “He is not publicly committing to anything that he can’t deliver.”

According to the Times report, Iranian dissidents and others who have suffered at the hands of the Islamic Regime quietly celebrated Nasrallah’s killing.

In some cities, sweets were distributed in celebration of the Hezbollah chief’s assassination.