The Wall Street Journal has brought to light the secret plan of Iran to escalate the war in the Middle East, claiming that Tehran was preparing throughout the entire 60-day ceasefire period — which formally expires today — to intensify its conflict with the United States and Israel, even as it continued to participate in talks and reach agreements with Washington. According to the Journal, Iranian leadership simultaneously sought to raise the price Washington would be forced to pay in the confrontation, while also preparing for a future conflict with the US and Israel.
The WSJ further notes that, following the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US in June, senior Iranian officials did not view the agreement as the end of the war, but rather as part of a broader preparation for the continuation of the conflict. In fact, according to the report, from the moment the memorandum was signed, Iran’s leadership had already decided it would violate it.
US & Iran: The role of Tehran’s hardliners
According to Arab and Iranian sources, hardline members of the Iranian leadership met following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran and decided to begin preparing for the next war with the United States and Israel. They reportedly believed that the agreed ceasefire was simply an attempt to limit the impact that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was having on the global economy.
Following that meeting, the Iranian leadership decided to grant the Revolutionary Guards greater authority over the country’s armed forces, to place several veteran commanders from the Iran-Iraq War in senior positions, and to accelerate the production of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to the report, after that meeting Iran began violating the memorandum of understanding by carrying out attacks against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and expanding its operations in the Red Sea through the Houthis, in an effort to increase pressure on Saudi Arabia.
Thus, during the fragile ceasefire period, Tehran was actively working to enhance its military capabilities and prepare the country for the possibility of a larger war and a new round of conflict.
These preparations included measures to strengthen the Revolutionary Guards’ command structure and expand weapons systems, with particular emphasis on missile systems and drones.
Iran’s secret war plan
At the same time, Iran sought to make things even more difficult for the United States and to raise the cost of continuing the conflict, thereby attempting to undermine Washington’s willingness to remain engaged.
Arab intelligence agencies gathered, according to the report, evidence that allegedly documents Iran’s new strategy. This includes communications between Tehran and organizations and armed forces operating as its proxies in Iraq and Yemen.
In this context, American officials warned countries in the region — and Kuwait in particular — that Iran’s leadership was preparing strikes on “hostile territory.”
