The hardliners in Iran are calling for drastic measures in response to Israel's recent killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Dominated by supporters of ultra-hardliner figures such as former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, there's been a growing chorus on social media for Iran to adopt a more aggressive stance, including blocking the vital Strait of Hormuz and pursuing nuclear weapon development.
In recent posts, ultra-hardliners have voiced frustration with President Masoud Pezeshkian's government, 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 omit the fact that any decision regarding military action against Israel lies with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority as the head of Iran's Armed Forces.
Following Nasrallah's death, Khamenei, through a number of posts on X (formerly Twitter), urged “all Muslims to stand with the people of Lebanon and the honorable Hezbollah” but refrained from any direct call for retaliation, falling short of the revenge many hardliners had anticipated.
In the absence of such a directive, Jalili's followers have begun advocating for radical actions, according to Iran International.
Comparisons to Yemen's control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another critical oil shipping route, have been drawn by these factions, with some questioning why Iran hasn't similarly closed the Hormuz to Western vessels.
One social media post, when translated to English, read, “Why can Yemen block the main passageway of oil [in the Bab al-Mandab Strait], but we are not doing the same in the Strait of Hormuz?”
The escalating rhetoric from Iran's ultra-hardline camp suggests that blocking the Strait, which handles a significant percentage of the world's oil shipments, would serve as a warning to Israel and its Western allies, said the Iran International report, adding, this action could, however, also trigger a military confrontation with the US and other naval powers in the region.
Alongside these demands, a growing number of voices within Iran's hardline factions are advocating for the development of a nuclear weapon. Sohrab Salehi, a university professor, wrote on X, “Iran burned its cards in the past. Now the only available card is Atom Bomb. This is the only way to bring the West to negotiations.”
Not everyone, though, agrees with these suggestions. Many argue that closing the Strait of Hormuz would not only escalate tensions but could also backfire on Iran economically and diplomatically. Additionally, despite some calls for nuclear weapon development, there remains the issue of Khamenei's reported religious edict against weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms.
These tensions are playing out against the backdrop of a broader reassessment within Iran's political circles regarding the fallout from Israel's recent military actions. Abdolreza Davari, a former ally of ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been one of the more prominent 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 body of the resistance front.”
Davari also suggested that Iran focus more on protecting its own national interests, taking into account the evolving geopolitical landscape in the post-Nasrallah era.
