Report: Top IRGC Commander Pushed Iran to Renew Strikes on Israel
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, Ahmad Vahidi, reportedly drove the decision to launch missiles at Israel in response to an Israeli army strike in Beirut last week, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by N12 on June 14, 2026.
Arab and Iranian sources quoted by the paper said Vahidi argued behind closed doors for a hard attack on Israel in order to stop Hezbollah in Beirut. The sources said more moderate figures in Iran’s leadership wanted to delay any retaliation because they feared it could jeopardize a possible agreement with the United States that might help Iran’s economy.
According to the report, Vahidi persuaded Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to approve the strikes, reigniting attacks toward Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire. The report portrays him as the most influential voice among hardliners in Tehran during negotiations, pressing to wait on any deal until Iran’s demands were met.
It also says Vahidi clashed with more publicly prominent political figures in Iran’s leadership and repeatedly emerged from closed-door meetings having prevailed. The article does not specify any further steps after the reported decision.
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