Two senior IRGC officials told The New York Times that Iran used the ceasefire period to coordinate with Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias on expanding operations against the United States, while deepening its control over Hezbollah by placing IRGC commanders on its leadership council. The report details secret teleconferences and field operations by Quds Force commanders, and states that Iran now controls more of Hezbollah's operations. The strikes were planned to avoid direct confrontation with US or Israeli forces.
The New York Times reported Saturday evening at 20:55 Jerusalem, citing two senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials, that Iran used the recent ceasefire period to coordinate with its proxy militias—Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi militias—on expanding operations against the United States, while simultaneously placing IRGC commanders on Hezbollah's leadership council to tighten Tehran's control over the organization. The report expands on an earlier NYT story from 20:08 Jerusalem that first disclosed the overall coordination.
The initial NYT report at 20:08 Jerusalem stated that Iran had used the ceasefire to coordinate proxy escalation and had placed IRGC commanders on Hezbollah's leadership council. The subsequent report at 20:55 provided additional operational details: Quds Force commanders held video conferences with the leaders of the proxy groups; IRGC commanders and advisers are operating in the field alongside these militias from Iraqi bases; and strikes were planned to avoid direct confrontation with US or Israeli forces, including a case where Saudi Arabia was chosen as a target in Iraq. The reports are based on accounts from the same two senior IRGC officials and have not been corroborated by other sources.
The reports align with a broader pattern of Iranian deepening involvement in Hezbollah's command. As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Iran's IRGC was reportedly preparing multiple operational responses to Israel after a plea from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, who warned that the organization faced "real danger." On June 19, analysis suggested that the IRGC was using Hezbollah to test the limits of the 2024 ceasefire with the US.
The claim that IRGC commanders now sit on Hezbollah's leadership council, if true, would represent a significant escalation in Iranian control over the organization's operations. However, the report relies entirely on accounts from two IRGC officials speaking to the NYT, and has not been independently verified. The details of the coordination and the exact structure of the council remain unconfirmed.
4 developments
- DevelopingIRGC using Hezbollah to test US truce limits, analysis warns after deadly Lebanon strike
- DevelopingAnalyst: Hezbollah in touch with IRGC to weigh response to Israeli strike
- DevelopingIranian official: Tehran will need to assert greater control over Hezbollah
- StrongCNN: Senior officials fear IRGC's stable grip on Iran's decisions leaves US interlocutors powerless
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