Senior Iranian Officer Pledges Israeli Military Bases, Haifa City, to be Targeted in Response to Assassination of General Soleimani

Former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Mohsen Rezaee has pledged that Iran will strike Israeli military bases and the city of Haifa, the third largest in the country after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in response to the American assassination of Quds Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani on January 3rd. While a number of senior figures in the Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, have pledged retaliation, General Rezaee has been the only one to specify which targets would be struck. The General currently serves as the Iranian Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council and as a senior officer in the IRGC.

It remains uncertain to what extent Rezaee’s statements can be taken seriously, as the former general has been seen as a hardliner with views which do not typically represent those of the Iranian leadership. A former presidential candidate, having run in there consecutive elections from 2005, Rezaee may be hoping to exploit the rise in public anger towards and will for retribution against the United States and its allies following the Soleimani’s assassination for political gain. Tensions between Israel and Iran have remained high, with the former's military placed on high alert following the assassination of General Soleimani in anticipation of potential Iranian retaliatory attack. Iran retains a number of assets capable of striking Israeli territory, including ballistic and cruise missiles able to strike from Iran itself and shorter ranged more tactical platforms which can be launched by Quds Force units in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Israel, however, retains formidable retaliatory capabilities of its own.