Iran fears escalation on three fronts
An Iranian military source told Al-Jarida that Tehran is factoring into its calculations a scenario of a large-scale military operation that it fears Washington might undertake after the conclusion of the World Cup final, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The source, who works at the “Seal of the Prophets” Headquarters, responsible for commanding military operations in Iran, stated that intelligence information held by Tehran indicates that Washington and Tel Aviv are studying a dual-plan. On one hand, this involves executing operations to seize control of several strategic islands in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, including the three Emirati islands occupied by Iran (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa), as well as Qeshm and Kharg islands, which are among the most important hubs for Iranian oil exports.
He clarified that the other component of the plan involves fomenting security unrest in the Kurdish areas in northwestern and western Iran, and in the Baluchi regions in the southeast of the country, to occupy and exhaust Iranian forces across multiple fronts. This would allow any potential military operations to focus on the islands and southern coasts.
The source added that the Iranian Armed Forces have raised their state of readiness, particularly among ground forces, in anticipation of this scenario. He noted that regional militias affiliated with and acting as proxies for Tehran have been informed that any land attack on Iranian territory would be considered the most serious threat facing the regime, and that they are expected to mobilize in any available theater to alleviate military pressure on Iran.
The source claimed that Washington and Tel Aviv are preparing to deploy special forces, alongside armed groups from non-Persian ethnic communities, to participate in this scenario. He alleged that U.S. forces had recently carried out three limited landing attempts on islands in the “Hormuz” area, which he interpreted as an effort to test the readiness of Iranian defenses and gather field intelligence.
