Pezeshkian, Newest President of Iran From 2024 And His Part In Present War

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Masoud Pezeshkian (born 29 September 1954)  71 years old,  is an Iranian politician who is the ninth and current president of Iran since 2024.Masoud Pezeshkian officially became the president of Iran on July 28, 2024, when he received the formal endorsement from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was then sworn in before the parliament on July 30, 2024. A member of the reformist faction, he is the oldest person to serve in this position, taking office at the age of 69.  He had been a cardiac surgeon, so he should be pretty sharp.  Masoud had been a doctor for Iranian soldiers in the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988).  After taking office as president, he stated that Iran would continue to support the Palestinians in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.   Pezeshkian accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.                 

Iran's current Supreme Leader, the highest religious and political authority, is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has held the position since 1989, succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.  Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei (born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. His tenure as supreme leader, spanning 36 years, makes him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East and the longest-serving Iranian leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.  He will be 87 years old on April 19, 2026.  

Since the Ayatollah holds so much more power than the president, how does he get along with him?  Pezeshkian is a teacher of the Quran, and a reciter of the Nahj al-balagha, a key text for Shia Muslims,    

Pezeshkian began his presidency by continuing support for the Axis of Resistance in the Iran–Israel proxy conflict. He presided over the October 2024 Iranian strikes on Israel in response to Israel's assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian military officer Abbas Nilforoushan. 

Pezeshkian hoped to revive the agreement with the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program, in exchange for lifting the international sanctions against it.

Iran has launched several direct attacks on Israel involving missiles and drones, primarily in April and October 2024, and the June 2025 Iran-Israel War. 

• Date: April 13–14, 2024
• Details: This was Iran's first direct attack on Israeli territory in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus.
  • Munitions: Iran launched a large combined assault of approximately 170 drones (including Shahed-136 and jet-propelled Shahed-238 loitering munitions), over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.
  • Outcome: The majority (99%) of the incoming threats were intercepted by a coalition of forces including Israel, the U.S., UK, and Jordan, causing only minor damage to the Nevatim Airbase and injuring one Israeli civilian. 
  • Pezeshkian was sworn in as President July 30, 2024
  • Date: October 1, 2024
  • Details: The second direct attack, launched in retaliation for Israel's assassinations of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in the preceding months.
    • Munitions: Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles (including Fattah-1 and Kheibar Shekan types) at targets in Israel in at least two waves.
    • Outcome: Most were intercepted, but some hit targets like the Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases, a school, and areas near intelligence headquarters, causing two fatalities (a Palestinian man and an Israeli man who had a heart attack) and several injuries. 

The Iran–Israel war (13 June – 24 June 2025), also known as the Twelve-Day War, was an armed conflict in the Middle East.

Following Israel's major offensive into Iran on June 13, 2025, a series of intense, daily Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel began as part of a short, high-intensity war. 

• June 13, 2025: Iran launched over 100 Shahed drones and around 150 ballistic missiles in two waves targeting military and intelligence sites in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. Some landed in residential areas, causing injuries and damage.
• June 14, 2025: Iran fired another 200 ballistic missiles overnight and another barrage later in the night. Some landed in residential areas of Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon LeZion, killing two people and injuring over 60, as well as damaging oil facilities in Haifa.
• June 15, 2025: Iran and Houthi allies in Yemen fired missiles simultaneously, striking buildings in Bat Yam, Rehovot, and Tel Aviv, killing nine people and injuring about 200. Later barrages injured seven in Haifa.
• June 16, 2025: Iran launched another barrage that damaged a school and homes in Bnei Brak, Haifa, and Petah Tikva, killing eight civilians and injuring over 90.

Eight Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra'am strike fighter jets of 69 Squadron "Hammers" at Hatzerim Airbase high above Israel on their way to attack Iran in mid June 2025, probably June 16, 2025.  

• June 17–24, 2025: Numerous smaller-scale and multi-wave attacks continued daily until a ceasefire was announced on June 24, with hundreds more missiles and drones fired throughout this period. These attacks targeted various districts across Israel, resulting in additional casualties and damage. 
  
  

•  However, following the 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran that included an unsuccessful attempt on his life, Masoud presided over the Iranian retaliatory strikes, and tensions escalated into the Iran–Israel war from 12 days and evidently it hasn't stopped.   

  
  

  Resource:

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/13/israeli-army-says-iran-has-launched-drones-at-israel#:~:text=Israel-Palestine%20conflict-,Iran%20launches%20hundreds%20of%20missiles%2C%20drones%20in%20first%20direct%20attack,in%20Syria%20two%2

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Israel_war#:~:text=This%20article%20is%20about%20a,a%20ceasefire%20under%20US%20pressure.

• AfAfter the explosions of pagers carried by Hezbollah members in Lebanon in September 2024 which came amidst heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, Pezeshkian stated that Iran was willing to ease hostilities in return for Israel doing the same.Abbas Nilforoushan along with Hezbollah leaders including Hassan Nasrallah, and the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Pezeshkian stated that the missile strikes were a response to Israel's aggression and warned it against getting involved in a conflict with Iran.
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Syrian Hezbollah Terrorists and Iran Threaten Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                      

On July 5, 2013, the Syrian port city, Latakia, was attacked.  Hezbollah terrorists were receiving a Russian shipment of improved Yakhont anti-ship missiles there.   The weapons cache were destroyed in the assault. These weapons could have targeted Israel's naval vessels as well as its Mediterranean gas fields.

Hezbollah terrorists have been receiving their military training, weapons and financial support from Iran.  Its political support comes from Syria as this "Party of Allah or God" is a Shi'a Islamic militant group and also a political party based in Lebanon.  The Arab and Muslim worlds regard it as a resistance movement and we; ie;  Netherlands, France, UK, Australia, Canada, Gulf Cooperation Council and Israel  regard it as a terrorist group.  It is on the side of the Syrian government in this civil war.  They were ones involved in the recapturing of Qusayr, a very strategic Syrian town.

Israel is the most concerned party as they would be first on the list of being harmed.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government will not tolerate weapons transfers to Hezbolla.  His policy is to prevent such transfers to terrorist groups.  He was interviewed on CBS News program, "Face the Nation" about the Latakia attack and didn't mention who the attacker of the port was.

Netanyahu's other problem is Iran.  He said that they were edging closer to building a nuclear weapon.  He felt that Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, was "a wolf in sheep's clothing".  He just smiles and continues to build a bomb.  Rouhani is said to be a moderate in his policies, unlike Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was.  Would the Ayatolla Khomeini allow anyone in as president who wasn't following his prescription for ruling Iran?  Rouhani was one of 3 men involved with Robert McFarlane in the Iran-Contra Affair.  "He also headed Iran's former nuclear negotiating team and was the country's top negotiator with the EU three– UK, France, and Germany – on Iran's nuclear program." He is to take office on August 3rd.    

Netanyahu has reports that they're edging up to the red line but haven't crossed it yet.  His conclusion is based on the fact that they are building faster centrifuges that will enable them to jump the line at a much faster rate and will be there in a few weeks.

The US should "ratchet up its sanctions against Iran and if this doesn't work, Iran must be told that that the USA is prepared to take military action.  This is the ONLY thing that will get their attention.  Iran must understand this.

What is the USA doing in other parts of the world?  A month ago, Obama promised arms and ammunition to the Syrian rebels, but now everyone sees that these are really very limited plans.  The USA planned to use the CIA to covertly train and arm the rebels but this could take months as it hasn't even started yet and probably will not  have any effect in the war.  It's not enough to get Assad to negotiate.  The USA has had previous ill effects from taking such steps.  Besides that, the international laws prohibit lethal support to a group trying to overthrow a sitting government, so our Congress is highly skeptical.  We were going to give the rebels AK-47 rifles, anti-tank weapons and ammunition which could find their way to terrorists who could use them to shoot down commercial aircraft.

Syria's government troops had clashes on Sunday on the edge of Damascus.  Their military has had the offensive to retake districts in opposition to them for the past few months.  They had tank shells and artillery that they were firing against the rebels.  Iran continues to back Syria.

Back in the 1980's, Iran, under Rouhani Ayatolla Khomeini(1902-June 3, 1989) arrested, imprisoned and executed thousands and thousands of their citizens because they conflicted with the regime's philosophy. All totaled, 20,000 died.

 Today,  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the reigns of power and "Iran’s supreme leader has strongly rejected proposals for direct talks with the United States, effectively quashing suggestions for a one-on-one dialogue on the nuclear standoff and potentially other issues."   This supreme leader is the Ayatolla, the head of religious power in Iran, not the president.  The president is pretty much just a puppet.  

"The US  further tightened sanctions on the Islamic Republic, which have already cut Iran’s oil revenue by 45 per cent. AP"  It looks like Iran will not bend to nuclear concessions saying the USA is holding a gun to their head.  Instead, they have been  asking for "a six-nation group comprising the permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany" for economic assistance. 

Will sanctions work?  We can't count on the UN for understanding or backing.  Two weeks to the red line?   Are we now living in the eye of the hurricane?   What will August bring us? 

 Rouhani promised to bring about economic stability in Iran and is now incensed over Ahmadinejad's lying about their economic stability.  "Several newspapers quoted Rouhani as saying his team of experts concluded that only an average of 14,000 jobs were created annually from 2006-2012. Ahmadinejad, who took office in 2005, claims his government created hundreds of thousands of jobs."

Again, who rules Iran?  "All key policy decisions rest with the ruling clerics. The most immediate impact by Rouhani could be on economic affairs, which are part of the portfolio of the presidency."   "The hardline supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains the ultimate authority on all state matters, including the nuclear program."  Iran may have voted in a moderate, but the real rulers are not showing signs of softening towards Israel.  

Resource:Oregonian newspaper 7/15/13, page A3 US help for Syrian rebels unlikely to tip scales, Los Angaeles times and New York Times; Israeli leader talks Hezbollah, Iran thrreats and  article by Mark Mazzetti, eric Schmitt and Erin Banco of NYTimes
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/irans-srebrenica-how-ayatollah-khomeini-sanctioned-the-deaths-of-20000-enemies-of-the-state-8485984.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Rouhani
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/15/hassan-rouhani-criticizes-ahmadinejad-iran_n_3598075.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/16/hassan-rouhani-israel-relations-iran_n_3450830.html

Iran Lets Cat Out of the Bag About Nuclear Weapons

Nadene Goldfoot
A commentary written by Alireza Forghani that just came out Sunday "The necessity for the Islamic world to have the Atomic Bomb" lets the cat out of the bag about Iran's intentions for producing nuclear energy.  He is the former governor of Iran's Kish Province and an analyst for the Ayatollah Khamenei.  He thinks all Muslim majority countries should help them get the nuclear bomb to disrupt the dreams of America and Israel.  He says it is their right to have a nuclear bomb and that Israel would have been gone 30 years ago but has such a weapon, keeping it here.  Frankly, I don't think Saudi Arabia would be very excited over Iran having the A Bomb, or even Iraq, who fought a huge war with Iran in the 1980's.  

Forghani even laid out a legal case for the destruction of Israel and all Jewish people in February.  It of course played in Iran only, and calls for a pre-emptive strike on Israel.  Fars News was happy to run this piece because it is run by the Revolutionary Guards and express the views of the Islamic regime.

He notes that the USA and Pakistan have the bomb and that America is the main enemy of Iran.  The Syrians and Lebanese Muslims, he says, are worried about being attacked by the USA if they don't cooperate.  Of course it has nothing to do with their shooting down their own people.  


He goes on to rave about the Islamic republic being threatened by America and they know Iran will be attacked. and recalls the Cold War against Russia.  America's being in Iraq and Afghanistan gives him fuel to project hatred.

We now see the failure between Iran and 6 world power nations in negotiations.  Iran refuses to suspend their nuclear enrichment and won't let inspectors see certain suspected sites.  They threaten counterattack for any aggression.  More threats are made on the USA than Israel in this article.  I think they fear a combined attack and of course the USA has more weaponry in its arsenal.

Other websites as well are reporting that the International Atomic Energy Agency is reporting a disappointing outcome from Friday's meeting..  In fact, they have retreated from previous commitments they had already made. Even China asked them to compromise.   Another meeting is scheduled in Moscow for June 18th, which is this coming Monday.  If nothing is successful even with sanctions in place, a European Union Oil embargo will be enforced on July 1st.  Only Iran's foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, is confident of the final outcome.

Resource: dailycaller.com/2012/06/10islamic-world-must-have-nuclear-weapons-says-iran?print=1
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nuclear-watchdog-talks-with-iran-on-nuclear-access-have-stalled/2012/06/08/gJQALdf7NV_story.html
http://www.voanews.com/content/iaea-begins-new-round-of-nuclear-talks-with-iran/1204863.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/06/13/iran-nuclear-salehi-idUKL5E8HDDDX20120613?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews