Iranian official reveals why Iran has held back on attacking Israel

According to one report, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a bomb that was planted by Mossad-recruited IRGC agents in May. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Iranian official said Iran has not yet begun its retaliation against Israel because it wants to conduct an investigation on the security breach that caused Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination and because of the presence of U.S. military forces in the region.

Iran has threatened Israel with a major response after Haniyeh was killed while staying at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guest house while he was attending the inauguration of new president Masoud Pezeshkian.

Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination, the Jewish state is widely assumed to have been behind his killing.

According to one report, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a bomb that was planted by Mossad-recruited IRGC agents in May.

The U.K.’s Telegraph reported that Mossad hired agents of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) to plant explosives in the guest house Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was staying while attending the funeral of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in May.

An official within the IRGC told The Telegraph that “they are now certain that Mossad hired agents from the Ansar al-Mahdi protection unit.”

The official continued, “This is a humiliation for Iran and a huge security breach.”

“It’s still a question for everyone how it happened; I can’t make sense of it. There must be something higher up in the hierarchy that no one knows about,” he added.

Esmail Qaani, the commander of the IRGC Quds force, is conducting an investigation and is identifying people to be fired, jailed, or executed for the breach.

The official said, “The breach has humiliated everyone.”

“The Supreme Leader has summoned all the commanders several times over the past two days; he wants answers,” he added.

The official concluded, “For him, addressing the security breach is now more important than seeking revenge.”

In addition, the US has increased its presence in the region as Israel braces for an attack by Iran.

The US has made it clear that is ready to use force against Iran if such an attack is carried out, as it did in mid-April when 300 missiles were fired into Israel, most of which were repelled.

The U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that F-22 fighters have been deployed to a base in the Middle East.

In addition, the US has sent ships that can shoot down ballistic missiles, including a U.S. aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, which is in the Gulf of Oman.

The Navy has also moved an F/A-18-E Super Hornet fighter squadron from that carrier to a base in a Mideast nation.