Versailles Deception: How Iran Exploited the Agreement to Prepare for Regional Conflict | Report

A Wall Street Journal report, cited in the article, reveals that Iran used the months of diplomacy following the signing of the Versailles memorandum to prepare for regional conflict. According to Arab intelligence sources, Tehran rapidly rebuilt its missile arsenal, transferred control of the military to the Revolutionary Guards, and appointed hardliners led by Mojtaba Khamenei. Plans include sabotage of global infrastructure and ground raids, with analysts speaking of a "salami-slicing" strategy and revenge for the assassination of Ali Khamenei.

A Wall Street Journal report, based on Arab intelligence sources and security sources close to Tehran, reveals that Iran exploited the months of diplomacy after the signing of the Versailles memorandum in June to prepare for a broad regional conflict against the US and its allies. While the White House celebrated diplomatic achievements, Tehran interpreted the move as American-Israeli "buying time" and used the last two months to rapidly rebuild its missile arsenal and strategic infrastructure, at a pace exceeding all forecasts, according to intelligence. The new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed a series of "hardliners" to key positions: Ahmad Vahidi was appointed commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaei was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and blocked progress in negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz, and Hossein Taeb was brought back to turn the Basij into a civilian intelligence network. Plans include sabotage of undersea internet cables in the Persian Gulf, fomenting unrest among Shia communities in Kuwait and Bahrain, and ground raids; such a case was prevented in May when Kuwaiti forces arrested a Revolutionary Guards cell. Analyst Mohammad Hassan Sangtarash explains that in Tehran there is a prevailing perception that the real war has not yet begun, and what has been seen so far is the "salami-slicing" method - gradual escalation. Advisor Mehdi Mohammadi defined the campaign as a "generational project of revenge" for the assassination of Ali Khamenei, and said that "the Iranian nation has much unfinished business with Trump."