On Thursday, May 23, amid the funeral ceremonies for former regime president Ebrahim Raisi in Mashhad, Iranian state media reported that the top commanders of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Quds Force held a meeting in Tehran with representatives of their allied militias.
Raisi, his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their entourage were killed in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan Province on May 19. Attending the Tehran meeting were prominent figures such as Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau; Naim Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah; Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi movement (Ansar Allah); and Mohammed al-Hindi, the deputy secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Reports also indicated the presence of representatives from other allied militant groups, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and various Iraqi militias.
The timing and dissemination of news and photos from this meeting, while global attention was focused on Iran, sent a clear message from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about escalating regional tension. The state-run ISNA news agency stated, “In this meeting, the latest political, social, and military developments in Gaza and the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm were discussed. The session emphasized continuing the jihad and struggle until the complete victory of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza with the participation of all resistance groups and fronts in the region.”
Why Firmness Will Prevent War with #Iran pic.twitter.com/FldhbJpZ3X
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 3, 2024
The meeting’s coverage extended to media affiliated with these groups, including Al-Manar, Al-Mayadeen, and the Houthi Information Center, further amplifying its impact. Additionally, Iranian state media highlighted the precise number of foreign leaders who attended recent state-staged ceremonies, contrasting sharply with the notable absence of former presidents Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Rouhani at Raisi’s funeral prayers—a detail not overlooked by analysts.
The death of Raisi, a key figure in Khamenei’s strategy to consolidate power, represents a significant blow to the regime. Nonetheless, amid numerous internal and external crises, Khamenei is vigorously striving to mask the regime’s vulnerabilities. Therefore, any perceived hesitation or inactivity in response to Tehran’s nuclear blackmail and regional power plays will only embolden the regime’s continuation of aggression and confrontation.