After United States President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of\nunderstanding (MoU) with Iran in mid-June, US government officials\nimmediately moved to build support for an agreement hoped to reopen the\nStrait of Hormuz and end the war. However, hardline leaders in Tehran\nwere drawing up a very different plan.<\/p>\n
According to Iranian and Arab officials, Tehran views the pact merely\nas an effort by the United States and Israel to ease pressure on the\nglobal economy while buying time for a larger future attack. Instead of\nplacing trust in the negotiating table, Iran has used the past two\nmonths to prepare for a wider battle.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s preparations include granting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard\nCorps (IRGC) greater control over the country\u2019s regular army. Supreme\nLeader Mojtaba Khamenei has also appointed veterans of the Iran-Iraq war\nand figures involved in internal crackdowns to key positions, expanded\ndomestic counter-intelligence operations, and ramped up missile and\ndrone production.<\/p>\n
The move was immediately followed by action on the ground. Iran\nattacked ships to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and expanded\nthe battlefield to the Red Sea, a route long used by Saudi Arabia to\navoid Iran\u2019s blockade in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Hassan Sangtarash, a defence analyst close to the Iranian\ngovernment, said there is a widespread view in Tehran that the main war\nhas not yet begun. What is happening now is interpreted as\nsalami-slicing tactics, a gradual escalation designed to weaken the\nenemy\u2019s capabilities before a major confrontation occurs.<\/p>\n
The preparations reveal a deep chasm in perception between Washington\nand Tehran. This distrust has made Iranian leaders reluctant to close a\npermanent deal, an attitude that has frustrated Trump to the point of\ncalling them crazy and liars.<\/p>\n
Behind the scenes, Khamenei has positioned seven key security leaders\nto run the overhauled military institution. Some key appointments\ninclude:<\/p>\n
Arab intelligence found evidence that the IRGC sent commanders to\nHouthi-controlled areas of Yemen to plan a confrontation with Saudi\nArabia, including a target list of energy facilities and ports. There\nare even concerns about a ground operation in Kuwait after local\nsecurity forces intercepted six IRGC personnel on an island near the\nIraqi border in May.<\/p>\n
Although the more pragmatic President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned of\nthe risk of economic collapse if sanctions are not lifted, the military\nfaction remains in control. Efforts by mediators through Oman to open a\nroute in Hormuz were blocked by the Revolutionary Guard, which instead\nresumed attacks on commercial ships.<\/p>\n
Now, with negotiations deadlocked, Trump has chosen to reapply\npressure through economic sanctions and a naval blockade. Tehran,\nhowever, appears to be preparing for a survival economy.<\/p>\n
Mehdi Mohammadi, a strategic adviser to Iran\u2019s negotiating team,\ndescribed the current situation as the calm before the storm. He\nstressed that the push for conflict is also fuelled by a blood revenge\nproject over the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (Mojtaba\u2019s father)\nat the start of the war.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Iranian nation still has much unfinished business with Trump,\u201d\nhe asserted.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irans-secret-plan-to-escalate-war-with-the-us-1786960230", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }