Some interesting quotes via the Iranian media roundup at Tehran Bureau (my emphasis).
In his sermon for the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Qom, Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei, known as a supporter of the Green Movement, addressed the recent reports that Israel may be preparing to attack Iran. “I did not intend to discuss this issue,” he said, “but we see that the occupying and stubborn Zionist regime has spoken about attacking Iran, and has become so fearless that it has not backtracked from its threats.” After rebuking Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians and threats against Iran, Sanei declared,
‘I support human rights and freedom for all the people [presumably encompassing the people of Israel], but it is our duty to respond to any possible attack by the Zionist regime in such a way that this regime will never think of such things.’
He continued,
‘I warn the Zionist regime that if it takes any military action against Iran, it will be playing with gunpowder and the reaction that it will experience will be such that it will not recover from it; in that case we will not be caring about human rights.’
He then criticized those in Iran who make provocative statements:
‘We must all do our best to prevent the Zionist attacks on Iran, because if they happen, Iran will be hurt greatly, even though the Zionist regime will be hurt even more. In a war, they do not distribute bread and halvah. We should not act, God forbid, as warmongers in our country and provoke a war. The nation is currently in a special condition, and the most important task is to shut the Zionist regime up with our thoughts, pen, and correct efforts and actions.’
This could be further evidence for the way an attack on Iran would force opposition to join the ruling powers against Israel, and of the hope that lies in Iranian internal politics.
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Greg Pollock
Of course there is opposition to war within Iran. Recall that President A was slapped hard by the Supreme Leader earlier. The Revolutionary Guards, I have read, are involved in business transactions in Iran. A’s expansion of the guards must be dislked by some of the elite. Unfortunately, Syria plays to the hawks. The message the US has given to Israel, seconded by Peres, is stay out of it.
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The hawks of one’s enemy are often one’s best ally.