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The view from Tehran: Iran's VP Zarif on Israel, Gaza & US complicity in ongoing conflicts
Listen: The Middle East finds itself teetering on the brink of a full-scale regional conflict as the world marks one year since the October 7th Hamas attacks. Israel has intensified its military operations against Iran-backed forces across multiple fronts, leaving destruction in its wake. In the span of a week, the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Israel’s ground offensive into Lebanon have thrown gasoline on an already raging fire.
On this episode of the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Iran's Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif, just before the Nasrallah assassination news broke. They discuss Iran's recent actions during this critical time. In their conversation, Zarif discusses the conflict’s broader regional impact, Iran’s right to self-defense, and its determination that Iran will not fall into Israel’s “trap.” Zarif also weighs in on the upcoming US presidential election, speculating on whether a Harris or Trump administration would benefit Iran, and addresses the rumors of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump. He says, "We don’t send people to assassinate people. I think it’s a campaign ploy." Zarif adds that, despite the new Iranian President’s pledge for a rapprochement with the West, recent developments have only driven the wedge further. And with Israel now in northern Lebanon, Iran now stands at a crossroads of what to do next.
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Damaged vehicles are seen after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon on July 30, 2024.
Top Hamas leader killed in Tehran
Iran is blaming Israel for a pre-dawn airstrike in Tehran on Wednesday that killed top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a move that could further escalate conflict in the region. The militant group said Haniyeh’s assassination on Iranian soil “takes the battle to new dimensions.”
This followed Israel’s strike in Beirut on Tuesday targeting a Hezbollah commander it alleges was behind a rocket attack on Saturday in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children. Israel believes that the commander, Fuad Shukr, was killed by the strike, but there are conflicting reports about whether he survived.
The Beirut strike, which reportedly also killed one civilian and injured 35 people, came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned there would be a severe response to the deadly attack in the Golan Heights.
Hezbollah has denied responsibility for Saturday’s strike, which occurred after months of rising tensions between the Iran-backed militant group and the Jewish state that have raised fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East amid the already devastating war in Gaza.
Israel’s response yesterday marked a significant escalation in the tit for tat between Israel and Hezbollah and came after the US urged the Israeli government to show restraint.
As for the Wednesday strike, it’s worth noting that the last time tensions flared dangerously between Iran and Israel was in April over Israel’s alleged targeting of a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Tehran responded then by launching its first-ever attack on Israeli soil with missiles and drones.
What happens next? In response to the assassination of Haniyeh, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had “prepared a harsh punishment for itself” by killing “a dear guest in our home.” We’re watching for revenge strikes, and to see whether Hamas pulls out of cease-fire negotiations in response.
“[The Beirut attack] was pretty big — a direct strike on Hezbollah’s heart, and one against a member of the leadership,” says Gregory Brew, a Eurasia Group senior analyst and regional expert, and the next few days will be crucial for Hezbollah “as they figure out how to respond.”