A senior Israeli political source said Wednesday evening that Iran is deterred from attacking Israel due to fear of the cost, and that the source knows for certain that Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive. The statements come amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.
A senior Israeli political source stated Wednesday evening that Iran is deterred from launching an attack on Israel due to fear of the cost, and confirmed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive. The statement adds a new emphasis on deterrence to the thread of briefings from the Israeli political echelon today, asserting that Tehran's calculus is driven by the price of any attack.
The new statement follows a series of updates from the same senior Israeli official, who briefed in Washington earlier Wednesday at 17:59 Jerusalem. In that initial briefing, the official said the decision to strike Iran rests with President Trump and all options remain on the table. The official went on to say that Israel aims to end its dependence on US security aid within a decade, outlined three options for Trump—a diplomatic agreement, maintaining the siege, or renewed military strikes—and expressed doubt that Khamenei is the one making decisions. The latest update from the same official also confirmed that Trump remains undecided and that no request for Israeli withdrawal from Syria was raised during the White House meeting.
The Zioneer has previously reported on intelligence assessments that Khamenei is not aiming for a final deal with the West (June 16), and on Israeli officials stating that Iran is deliberately avoiding conflict with Israel (July 9). The current source's statement about deterrence aligns with those assessments, reinforcing the view that Tehran is avoiding direct confrontation.
The source's identity remains undisclosed, and the claim about Iranian deterrence is a political assessment rather than a verified intelligence report. The question of Khamenei's decision-making role remains unresolved, as the same official earlier expressed doubt about whether he is the one making decisions.
6 developments
- StrongIsraeli security sources: Iran leadership debating strike after Khamenei disappearance, Larijani killing
- DevelopingYoni Ben Menachem: Mojtaba Khamenei alive and in Iran, cabinet ministers informed
- StrongIsraeli security source: Iran plotted to assassinate Israeli figures in Tel Aviv; Khamenei not in Iran
- StrongIran's supreme leader likely to skip father's funeral, citing security fears
Source and signal
- Open-source intake