Tehran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Hezbollah leader Syyed Hassan Nasrallah to flee Lebanon days before he was killed in an Israeli strike and is now deeply worried about Israeli infiltration of senior government ranks in Tehran, three Iranian sources said.

Khamenei sent message with an envoy to beseech Hezbollah secretary general to leave for Iran, citing intelligence reports that suggested Israel had operatives within Hezbollah and was planning to kill him, one of sources, senior Iranian official, told Reuters.

Messenger, official said, was senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, who was with Nasrallah in his bunker when it was hit by Israeli bombs and was also killed.

Khamenei, who has remained in secure location inside Iran since Saturday, personally ordered barrage of around 200 missiles to be fired at Israel on Tuesday, senior Iranian official said. Attack was retaliation for deaths of Hassan Nasrallah and Nilforoushan, Revolutionary Guards said in statement.

Hasan Nasrallah’s death has prompted Iranian authorities to thoroughly investigate possible infiltrations within Iran’s own ranks, from powerful Revolutionary Guards to senior security officials, second senior Iranian official said. They are especially focused on those who travel abroad or have relatives living outside Iran, first official said.

Hassan Nasrallah, however, was confident in his security and trusted his inner circle completely, official said, despite Tehran’s serious concerns about potential infiltrators within Hezbollah’s ranks.

In Gaza, Israel’s retaliation has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza Health Ministry.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 03 2024

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