A faction of hardliners within Tehran is accused of orchestrating attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to sabotage a peace deal with the United States, according to a new report.
The alleged plot unfolded in July, shortly after the U.S. and Iran had agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June. Iranian moderates, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, had hoped the MOU would pave the way for a permanent end to the ongoing war.
However, these aspirations were reportedly thwarted when three vessels sailing in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked. The New York Times reported that the strikes were not authorized by the regular Iranian army but were instead greenlit by Hossein Taeb, the newly appointed chief of Iran's paramilitary Basij militia.
Taeb, who heads the Basij force known for its role in suppressing domestic dissent, allegedly ordered the July attacks with the explicit goal of preventing peace and rejecting any compromise with the U.S. Alireza Namvar Haghighi, an Iranian expert cited by the Times, stated that the attack was "orchestrated with the goal to blow up the memorandum of understanding with Trump and to kill the prospects of any future negotiations and deal."
The report suggests that Taeb and his allies within the hardline faction may have exploited the absence of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei has been out of public view since suffering severe injuries on February 28, the first day of the war. His whereabouts and condition have been subject to speculation, with reports indicating his orders are now only communicated through readouts.
President Pezeshkian was reportedly furious about the July attacks, but officials were unable to provide him with details about who had ordered the strikes. Pezeshkian himself has acknowledged meeting with an individual he believed might not have been the actual Supreme Leader. Hardliners, long-time allies of Khamenei, are suspected of using the leader's absence to advance their own agenda and attribute their actions to his supposed directives.
When Pezeshkian sought answers regarding the July 7 attacks, Iranian military officials allegedly deflected responsibility or claimed the orders originated from the highest levels. Notably, the IRGC's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters did not claim responsibility for the July 7 strikes, deviating from their usual practice of publicizing such actions.
The incident underscores the internal divisions within Iran's leadership and the ability of hardline elements to manipulate events to perpetuate the conflict. Since the July 7 incident, Iran has continued to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to regular exchanges of attacks between Iran, its proxies, and U.S.-led allied forces in the region.