Without the knowledge of the top brass: The secret move that pushed Iran back to war

A New York Times investigation reveals that a radical faction within the Iranian leadership attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz in July without the approval of President Pezeshkian and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, aiming to sabotage the memorandum of understanding with the US. The attack led to renewed American strikes and a renewed war, amid sharp internal conflicts in the leadership and the mysterious disappearance of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

A New York Times investigation, published today, reveals that a radical faction within the Iranian leadership deliberately sabotaged the memorandum of understanding with the US and pushed Iran back to war. According to the investigation, the attack on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz in early July was carried out on the initiative of individuals acting on their own, without the knowledge of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Revolutionary Guards commander General Ahmad Vahidi, and the Supreme National Security Council. The attack occurred about three weeks after the signing of the memorandum of understanding, during the funeral procession of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian, who was in Iraq, immediately returned to Tehran, and the next day the US responded with airstrikes, and the war resumed. Investigations attributed the decision to attack to cleric Hossein Taeb, who opposed the agreement. Meanwhile, the regime formulated an official version blaming the US, but few are convinced by it. Following the incident, sharp internal conflicts erupted, including threats of resignation by generals and accusations of treason. Against the backdrop of the disappearance of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since March, even the president doubts the authenticity of messages attributed to him. The Iranian economy is crumbling under an American naval blockade.