Before Iran launched a massive missile attack against Israel, the Quds Force—the arm of the Iranian military responsible for conducting proxy warfare—reasserted its primary mission: the elimination of Israel.
Yadollah Javani, a high-ranking military figure and political deputy of the IRGC, explicitly announced this mission for the first time during a political meeting with IRGC personnel in Iran's northwestern Qazvin province, as reported by Javan Online, a publication closely aligned with the IRGC.
Tehran launched over 100 ballistic missiles against Israel on Tuesday night, stating the attack was in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, both of whom were killed in recent Israeli strikes.
Javani’s comments, made just before Iran’s missile strikes, reflect a shift. Traditionally, the Quds Force has relied on indirect tactics against Israel, utilizing asymmetrical warfare and proxy forces. Now, Iran appears to be moving toward more direct confrontation, signaling a bold escalation in its approach.
The IRGC official emphasized the importance of this policy, asserting that the elimination of Israel is a longstanding commitment of Iran's Islamic government – with the Quds Force having been created by the Supreme Leader in pursuit of that goal.
"The policy of the Islamic Republic is the eradication of the existence of the Zionist regime. The Leader of the Revolution and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) consider this a commitment. The Leader, in continuation of Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), has followed this policy, creating a force called the Quds Force, whose mission is clear,” Javani said.
“The Islamic Revolution and the new Islamic civilization have the elimination of Israel on their agenda," Javani added.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had previously vowed that Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "will not go unavenged," was reportedly moved to a secret location in late September, according to Reuters. Tehran had previously refrained from retaliating for the widely perceived humiliating assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran guesthouse in July.
According to officials who spoke with The New York Times, conservatives in the Islamic Republic’s establishment were pushing for direct retaliation, while the so-called moderates reportedly preferred to avoid an all-out war.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had condemned the killing of IRGC deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut by Israel, calling it a "horrible crime" that would not go unanswered.
This week, the reformist news site Etemad Online featured an interview with an Iranian foreign policy analyst, Reza Nasri, who argued primarily against direct military confrontation with Israel, stating that such actions have historically strengthened Israel through US and international support. Instead, Nasri advocated for a "death by a thousand cuts" strategy: a prolonged effort to weaken Israel through economic, political, and demographic pressures. Nasri had further suggested focusing on creating internal instability in Israel, halting immigration, and damaging Israel's global reputation.
After the killing of Nasrallah, Nasri posted a tweet on his X page comparing the Hezbollah leader—widely known for his involvement in violent militant activities—to Nelson Mandela, a global icon of non-violence and reconciliation.
Iranian officials, including political and military figure Hossein Kanani Moghadam, who is affiliated with the IRGC, had emphasized that any decision to escalate or engage in open conflict is ultimately made by the Supreme Leader.
Speaking to centrist media Fararu, Moghadam had pointed out that Hezbollah has entered an "open-ended war" scenario, where there are no red lines for future operations against Israel, indicating that all forms of retaliation were on the table.
