"We need a moderate government!"

The moderate government:

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇺🇸/🇮🇱 Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian: 'The United States and Europe claimed that a ceasefire in Gaza would be reached if Iran delayed the response to Ismael Haniyeh's assassination – they lied'

@Middle_East_Spectator

You absolutely worthless piece of shit, after 45 years of US and European animosity towards Iran and the Palestinians, you still decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe their 'promises'?

If this truly is the case, there is no-one to blame except yourself. The Supreme Leader gave a direct order for retaliation, and you decided to go against this order simply because the US and Europe promised you something.

This is why the West cannot be trusted. Even the most basic pea-brained individuals in the Middle East understands this, but somehow our PRESIDENT does not.

If you are this naive and gullible, then I can't even begin to express my worries about what kind of concessions we're probably willing to make for a return to the Nuclear Deal. Absolute trash. A shower of shit.

Weak leadership will only embolden our enemies and bring us CLOSER to regional war. President Raeesi understood the principle of strong and ideology based foreign policy, and during his term Iran was respected and taken seriously, unlike now.

I was willing to give this guy a shot, even though he was not my choice for President. I wished the best for him and kept my mouth shut regarding criticisms in the first few months, he's our President after all, and I want him to do good!

But ever since he's been sworn in, all he has done is fraternize with our open and closeted enemies, laughing and shaking their hands. It's like a sheep trying to make a deal with a pack of wolves.

I can't stand his Turkish uncle-looking face. He looks like he sells watermelons. Whenever he speaks I'm embarassed and I nearly puke. He is literally our Biden. Incompetent, embarassing and gullible.

Ok I am done now.

Back to the news.

— 🇮🇷/🇺🇸/🇮🇱 NEW: The United States reportedly offered Iran significant sanctions relief and a guaranteed permanent ceasefire in Gaza based on Hamas' proposed terms (and Hamas was informed of this), in exchange for the Islamic Republic delaying its retaliation against Israel for Ismael Haniyeh; not a single sanction was lifted, nor was a ceasefire reached in Gaza

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇱🇧 NEW: Israel has reportedly started striking Sunni and Christian areas in Lebanon with minimal Hezbollah presence, in order to provoke a sectarian conflict

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷 NEW: Iranians have gathered in front of the Supreme National Security Council

They are protesting against President Pezeshkian's decision to ignore the Supreme Leader's directive to retaliate for the assassination of Ismael Haniyeh.

They demand the implementation of the Supreme Leader's orders, and for the Iranian President to stop relying on the promises of Western powers. They shouted death to Israel and death to the US.

@Middle_East_Spectator

‼️ CORRECTION: This attack was not in Dahyeh, but rather in Cola a sunni majority area in Beirut.

There is no Hezbullah there, and it was always a pro-Hariri area

📹 An apartment was attacked in Cola area. This area has probably haven't been attacked since the invasion of 1980's

📸 The building attacked includes the house of old Christian politician with currently no representation, Najah Wakim.

He's a friend to Hezbullah. Did Israel attack someone who sought refugee at his house!?

— 🇮🇷 To those who are confused, asking if Iran's Supreme Leader has full authority:

Yes, the Supreme Leader in Iran TECHNICALLY has full authority, especially regarding foreign policy and national security matters. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, and the highest political and religious authority in the country. He is the Wali al-Faqih (Guardian Jurist), somewhat like the Pope for Catholics back in the day, having both spiritual and political power.

However, Ayatollah Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader for the past 35 years, rarely ever uses his executive power. If he wants to, he can issue a 'Hokm-e Hokoomati' (Executive Order) which must be obeyed and carried out by the government, but this rarely happens.

In reality, the Supreme Leader mostly acts as a 'guide'. He publicly gives his opinion about something, and the current administration is expected to act roughly in line with the Supreme Leader's vision, even if they are not an explicit unequivocal order.

For example, in the case of Ismael Haniyeh's assassination, the Supreme Leader, both privately and publicly, claimed that Iran must carry out a 'blood vengeance' and retaliate for this crime. As mentioned before, this statement mostly acts as a guideline, not a direct order. Khamenei does this because if he signs too many executive orders, he will be seen as a dictator, especially by the more liberal factions of Iranian society. He also believes that the President, due to his democratic election, has a mandate of the people.

In the case of Haniyeh's assassination, the new Pezeshkian administration, despite being clearly instructed to retaliate, decided to make a compromise with the US instead, and to retaliate at a later time in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza. Obviously, this didnt't happen, and now many Iranians are pissed off that the Supreme Leader's instructions were bypassed.

For the record, the Supreme Leader could have easily chosen to simply directly order the strike on Israel, nobody could have disobeyed it, but it would have been perceived as undermining the new administration, which was clearly opposed to a strike in the immediate timeframe.

Ayatollah Khamenei has always taken the position of being a 'concerned father'; he gives the government and the President a lot of freedom to do whatever they want, even if it goes against his guidelines, because he hopes they will realize that relying on the West simply does not work. Clearly, even after the past 45 years, the Reformists have not yet come to this realization, unlike the 'Hardliners' such as Raeesi and Jalili.

It is possible that after this incident, the Supreme Leader will still decide to directly order a strike against Israel after all, regardless of Pezeshkian's wishes. He was simply trying to keep the national unity.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇱🇧 NEW: Unconfirmed (Edit: confirmed to be false) reports that the leader of the 'Islamic Group' was killed in the Israeli airstrike on Cola area in Beirut

'Islamic Group' (Al-Jama'ah Al-Islamiyyah) is a Sunni Islamist political party in Lebanon that also has an armed wing, the 'al-Fajr Forces'. They are the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The party is not in complete political alignment with Hezbollah, but considers itself an ally of Hezbollah when it comes to resisting against Israel, and for the first time in almost 20 years of military inactivity they launched missiles into Israel during the current war in Gaza.

@Middle_East_Spectator