All in? Israel weighs scope of striking Iran

Posts from Iranian hardliners and ultra-hardliners expressed both enthusiasm for the missile strike and frustration with President Masoud Pezeshkian. This group, which typically supports Saeed Jalili, an ultra-conservative politician and former nuclear negotiator, criticized Pezeshkian and his Strategic Deputy, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, for delaying a response to Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. They argued that the government’s retaliation came too late, further deepening their dissatisfaction with Pezeshkian's leadership.

“Yes, you are right, war is scary but sometimes there’s no other option. War is like chemotherapy which has pain, costs, side effects and may even not work but it is sometimes the only and final path,” a pro-Jalili netizen posted.

“Patience and delay in revenge for Haniyeh did not stop the brutal killing. Fear of war causes war [because] it rouses the enemy’s greed,” another ultra-hardliner tweeted.

“Understand this you idiots: war can only be prevented with firing missiles. Showing fear and weakness is the biggest contributor to the start of a war,” a post by a similarly-minded netizen who used the hashtag #وعده_صادق٢ (Operation True Promise 2) read.

Some ordinary Iranians, who don't seem to support the establishment but may have backed Pezeshkian's presidency in hopes that he could improve their lives, are now expressing fears about the situation escalating into a full-scale war between the Islamic Republic and Israel.

“Israel has yet not responded to last night’s attack. We, the people, live in the shadow of fear, anxiety, and trepidation. We are worried about our children. Queues have formed for gasoline and we are waiting to see what is going to happen,” a netizen who has blamed the Islamic Republic for “starting the war” in her other tweets posted on X.

“The people of the future should know that the reason for the war was the Islamic Republic’s interference and full support for Palestine when other Islamic and Arab countries had withdrawn and were in complete silence,” she wrote in another tweet with the hashtag #نه_به_جنگ ("No to war").

Many who advocate for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, identifying as barandaz (those who seek regime change), are blaming Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his loyalists for actions that they believe could push the country into a devastating war.

Some within the barandaz group, who support the return of monarchy to Iran and view Israel as an ally of the Iranian people, are actively urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike the Islamic Republic and its leaders.

They argue a massive strike is even more warranted, and justified, in retaliation for Iran's second attack on Israel Tuesday with ballistic missiles.

“They are enemies of humanity. Strike the houses of IRGC generals and top officials of the regime, IRGC bases, seminaries, and mosques. We are ready to pay that price for the weakening of the regime and its annihilation too if you are forced to strike infrastructures,” a barandaz tweeted with the hashtag #اسرائیل_بزن (Israel strike [the Islamic Republic]).

“Beware of the Islamic Republic’s self-inflicted harms to defame Israel and to earn international attention and pity. Avoid going to religious events and crowded public venues. Be careful not to fall victim to Khamenei’s ambition and madness,” a dissident netizen tweeted with the same hashtag.

Other netizens on X who share similar views have suggested that Israel target nuclear sites, refineries, the parliament, the president’s office, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s residence.

However, there is also criticism of the barandaz who encourage Israeli attacks, with opponents arguing that such actions would cause widespread suffering and devastation for all Iranians, regardless of their political beliefs.

“My friends who think that Iranian people and the regime are separate, my dears, your food on the table will be less and your home will be destroyed if Israel strikes infrastructures. Israel will not give you a dollar even if the regime collapses. Look at the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and stop posting [Instagram] stories and tweets [to tell] Israel to strike Iran…,” a Finland-based Iranian who appears unsympathetic to the establishment in his tweets posted on X.

“I feel sorry about those who are happy with the beginning of the war, whether they are supporters of the regime or its opponents. You haven’t seen war at close and don’t know what war means, I only know about the damages and consequences of war from what I’ve observed in friends and acquaintances, too … Remember that bombs and missiles don’t have eyes. Living and dead trees both burn when there’s a fire in the forest,” another opponent of war who appears to be living in Iran tweeted.

Asked by reporters if the Jewish state should hit at the disputed nuclear program after Iran's greatest-ever attack on its soil, Biden said, "no".

An international consensus among world powers in the G7 group was that retaliation was warranted but should be limited, he added.

“All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they have to respond proportionally."

Iran launched around 180 missiles at Israel on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. The attack was largely repulsed with US and Western help but several missiles hit their mark, including an Israeli air base.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told an emergency Security Council meeting on Wednesday that an Israeli riposte was inevitable.

"Let me be clear, Israel will defend itself. We will act," he said. "And let me assure you, the consequences Iran will face for their actions will be far greater than they could ever have imagined."

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said the attack was in response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, warning Israel that it will strike again if there was an Israeli response.

Israel was aided in fending off a previous one-off missile fusillade from Iran in April by the United States, Western and Arab partners, after which Washington urged Israel to hold off on a counterattack.

But the US government is not trying to dissuade Israel from hitting back this time, CNN said citing two senior US officials.

"No one’s saying don’t respond. No one’s saying ‘take the win'," one source said, referring to Washington's argument to Israel in April.

War or Peace

Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of forcing his country to react, saying that Tehran “is not looking for war but looking forward to peace”.

"We were asked to maintain calm. For the sake of peace, we have maintained self-restraint,” he said at a joint press conference with the Emir of Qatar in Doha. “If [Israel] acts, we will react more fiercely and harshly."

Israel declared Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata for what it said was insufficient rejection of Iran's attack.

Speaking at the Security Council later in the day, Guterres condemned the Iranian barrage on Israel the previous day, adding that the “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.”

“Time is running out,” he warned.

Meanwhile Israel announced the deaths in combat of eight Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, days after it launched an invasion of the country it said aimed at stopping rocket fire on its border communities by Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

Israel has landed devastating blows against Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah in an aerial bombardment on Beirut on Friday along with much of its top leadership.

The attacks have killed up to a 1,000 people including many civilians while displacing nearly a million people.

A top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion Tehran in July in an assassination widely blamed on Israel, raising Iran's ire but not immediately drawing any response at that time.

The country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired over 180 missiles towards Israel, claiming retaliation for the assassination of several key figures, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan.

The attack's minimal physical impact on Israel quickly became a source of online ridicule among many Iranians.

Instead of rallying behind their government's military display, many Iranians responded with humor, highlighting a widespread sense of skepticism and frustration toward the rulers of their country.

In one example, a viral video of an apparent failed missile launch in Zanjan, 300 kilometers from Tehran, became a source of widespread amusement. The seemingly malfunctioning missile, which crashed after launch, was humorously compared to a broken water heater, with jokes circulating about selling it for scrap metal.

Another widely shared meme depicted Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holding a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher. Instead of hitting Israel, the RPG backfired and struck Iran, serving as a visual metaphor for the country’s perceived self-sabotage.

In one of the more scathing social media exchanges, hardline MP Hamid Rasaie tweeted, asking if others believed that former IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah were the ones who launched the missiles. A respondent sarcastically shot back, "Of course not! We don’t use meth like you!"—implying that only someone disconnected from reality, or under the influence of drugs, would think such a thing.

Iranians also found humor in the timing of the missile launch. One user noted that Tuesday's attack took place in the early evening, in contrast to the April strike, which happened in the early morning hours. The user quipped, “Good for President Pezeshkian! Under Raisi, we had to stay awake until 6 in the morning.”

A video of a celebration in the religious city of Qom, where supporters of the Islamic government gathered to cheer the missile attack, became another target of mockery. During the fireworks display, some fireworks accidentally exploded within the crowd, prompting one user to joke, “The casualties from this celebration were higher than those from the attack on Israel.”

Even Iran’s top military leaders were not spared from public scorn. A clip showing IRGC chief Hossein Salami and other commanders cheering as missiles were launched went viral, with many mocking their childlike excitement. “Look at him, getting excited like a donkey given a treat,” one commenter wrote, referring to Salami’s apparent amazement at the successful missile firing. “The fool—it’s the first time in his life he’s seen how a missile works, and yet he’s called a commander.”

Some users also sarcastically referenced the missile attack's stated goal of avenging Palestinian deaths. After reports emerged that a Palestinian man had been the only person killed by shrapnel from an Iranian missile, one user shared the news with the caption: “Palestinians after this attack: ‘Guys, it’s okay, can you not take revenge for us anymore?’”

Instead, he focused on Israel's simmering conflict with Lebanon and the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by Israel last month, stating, “I certainly have remarks regarding Lebanon and everything related to this great and beloved martyr (Nasrallah), which I will share in the near future, God willing.”

In an open and seemingly unprovoked attack on Western democracies, Khamenei accused the US and European nations of being "the root of the problem in our region—which creates conflicts, wars, concerns, and hostilities".

He said: "If they reduce their interference in this region, undoubtedly these conflicts, wars, and confrontations will completely vanish. The countries in the region can manage themselves, govern their own areas, and live together in peace, safety, and well-being.”

Unusually, he did not mention Iran's archenemy Israel in the blast.

Khamenei’s comments come at a significant moment, as there are reports that he will lead Friday prayers in Tehran this week for the first time in nearly five years. An announcement from a manager at Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Fars website confirmed that Khamenei will personally deliver the sermon, a responsibility he typically delegates to representatives such as Ahmad Khatami and Kazem Sedighi. It is significant as historically, Khamenei only steps in during critical times or significant occasions.

The last time Khamenei led Friday prayers, considered the most holy day of the week for Muslims, was on January 17, 2020, the first time in eight years. His sermon occurred during a particularly tense period, just after the killing of Iranian IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike and the subsequent downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane by Iran's military.

If confirmed, the timing of Khamenei’s appearance is noteworthy due to Iran’s second attack on Israel on Tuesday and recent killing of Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike which has seen Iran's biggest proxy hit most drastically by Israel since its creation. Around 1,500 operatives are believed to have been taken out of action after a mass infiltration of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the group. Its top commanders have also been eliminated in a wave of assassinations.

Now, according to reports from Reuters, Khamenei has been moved to a secure location within Iran amid heightened security following Nasrallah’s shock assassination.

On Tuesday night, after the launch of nearly 200 missiles at Israel and the Israeli prime minister's promise of strong retaliation, reports indicated that he remained in a secure location. However, he appeared for a public meeting on Wednesday.

Iran launched over 180 missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, claiming it was a response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others, including Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, killed in an air strike in Tehran in July.

Khamenei also led the funeral prayers for the slain Hamas figure, in addition to leading prayers for former president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a mysterious helicopter crash earlier this year.

Across multiple locations in Israel, barrages of missiles streaked through the sky as sirens wailed throughout the country. At least one person was killed in the West Bank, with several others injured during the attack, according to the Israeli military.

Hours after the assault, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”

The US also vowed that it would work with longtime ally Israel to ensure Iran faced "severe consequences" for Tuesday's attack.

Just hours before the debate, Iran launched its largest attack on Israel, firing over 180 ballistic missiles. The escalation followed Israel's targeted assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and a key commander of Iran’s IRGC.
With the latest developments shaping the debate, CBS moderator Margaret Brennan opened by asking Democratic VP candidate Walz whether, as the final voice in the Situation Room, he would support or oppose a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran.

Republican VP candidate JD Vance, in turn, said it is up to Israel to keep its country safe – and that the US should support its allies wherever they are when they’re fighting adversaries.

The bestselling author and military veteran, started his response by accusing the current administration for providing Tehran with sanctions relief, which he argued helped bolster Iran’s arsenal.

“Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration. What do they use that money for? They use it to buy weapons that they're now launching against our allies and, God forbid, potentially launching against the United States as well,” Vance told the moderators.

However, it should be noted that the Biden administration released $16 billion in frozen assets from South Korea and Iraq, while it failed to enforce oil export sanctions on Iran, which generated additional tens of billion dollars.

Walz avoided directly addressing the allegation of sanctions relief and asset unfreezing, instead criticizing Trump for exiting the Iran nuclear deal without offering a replacement, which he argued brought Iran closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

In September of 2023, the US issued a sanctions waiver for banks to transfer $6 billions of frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar, paving the way for the release of five Americans held by Iran. Many Republicans condemned the transfer arguing that President Joe Biden paid a "ransom to the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism". Democrats meanwhile, defended the action claiming that Iran could only use the money for humanitarian trade.

Walz also referenced the April military clash between Israel and Iran, noting that despite Iran's large-scale retaliation, Israel and its allies successfully intercepted most of the missiles, minimizing the damage.

“Steady leadership like you witnessed today, like you witnessed in April. Both Iranian attacks were repelled. Our coalition is strong, and we need the steady leadership that Kamala Harris is providing,” Walz said.

In his final comments on Iran, Vance rejected Walz’s criticism, arguing that Iran’s nuclear advances and the October 7th attacks occurred under the Biden-Harris administration, not Trump’s.

He also defended Trump’s foreign policy, portraying it as more effective in ensuring global stability – arguing that the former President’s communication style is irrelevant to real outcomes.

“So Governor Walz can criticize Donald Trump's tweets, but effective, smart diplomacy and peace through strength is how you bring stability back to a very broken world,” Vance said.