"The only available card is Atom Bomb": Iran’s radicals amid Middle East tension

Hardliners in Iran are calling for tougher measures in response to the recent killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israel. Dominated by supporters of ultra-radical figures such as former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, there are growing calls on social media for Iran to take a more aggressive stance, including blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz and pursuing nuclear weapons development .

In recent posts, ultra-radicals have expressed frustration with the government of President Massoud Pezeshkian, accusing it of being too passive in the face of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. However, according to the report, these criticisms largely ignore the fact that any decisions regarding military action against Israel rest with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds final authority as head of Iran’s armed forces. Are.

Following Nasrallah’s death, Khamenei, through several posts on X (formerly Twitter), urged “all Muslims to stand with the Lebanese people and the honorable Hezbollah” but avoided any direct calls for reprisals. , causing many radicals to fail to take revenge. Had guessed.

According to Iran International, in the absence of such direction, Jalili’s followers have begun to advocate radical actions.

These factions have drawn comparisons to Yemen’s control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another important oil shipping route, with some questioning why Iran has not similarly closed Hormuz to Western ships.

One social media post, translated into English, read, “Why can Yemen block the main route of oil (in the Bab al-Mandab Strait), but we are not doing the same in the Strait of Hormuz?”

Iran International reports that increasing rhetoric from Iran’s ultra-radical camp suggests that blocking the strait, which handles a significant percentage of the world’s oil shipments, would be a warning to Israel and its Western allies. Will work as. However, military confrontation with the US and other naval powers has also erupted in the region.

Along with these demands, there are increasing voices within Iran’s radical factions advocating the development of nuclear weapons. “Iran has burned its cards in the past,” university professor Sohrab Salehi wrote on X. Now the only available card is Atom Bomb. “This is the only way to bring the West into dialogue.”

However, not everyone agrees with these suggestions. Many argue that closing the Strait of Hormuz will not only increase tensions, but could also have an adverse impact on Iran economically and diplomatically. Additionally, despite some calls for nuclear weapons development, the issue of Khamenei’s stated religious injunction against weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, remains.

These tensions are unfolding against a backdrop of widespread reassessment in Iranian political circles regarding the consequences of Israel’s recent military actions. Abdolreza Davari, a former aide to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been one of the leading voices calling for a more pragmatic approach. Davari, who supported President Pezeshkian in the last election, tweeted that the operation that killed Nasrallah was “an irreparable blow to the resistance front.”

Davari also suggested that Iran focus more on protecting its national interests, taking into account the emerging geopolitical landscape in the post-Nasrallah era.