Although Iran’s Supreme Leader has ordered a retaliation attack against Israel in response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, his stance is not unanimously supported within the regime’s highest echelons of power.

Sources close to the matter have revealed to Iran International that during a recent high-level meeting, President Masoud Pezeshkian appealed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to prevent any direct Iranian assault on Israel. Pezeshkian emphasized that his opposition to military action is grounded in national interests rather than any lack of expertise in security matters, as some hardliners have suggested.

Iran’s president stressed that initiating hostilities with Israel would make economic recovery virtually impossible and further widen an already significant divide between the government and its citizens. Such action, Pezeshkian argued, would severely damage Iran’s international standing at a time when the country urgently needs to improve its global relations.

Pezeshkian also noted that he faces constant pressure from factions within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who are advocating for a forceful military response against Israel, regardless of any societal and economic repercussions.

According to the report, Khamenei’s response during the meeting was notably noncommittal. However, Pezeshkian’s opposition gives credence to rising reports that Iran is backing off on its initial plan to directly strike Israel, preferring to use its proxy Hezbollah instead.