The testimonies provide a rare window into the fractures within Iran’s military and growing discontent among its ranks

Several Iranian officers do not believe that Hamas and Hezbollah will not recover in strength and have also spoken out against the Islamic Republic regime in a rare interview with N12 published on Saturday.

Javad, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operative, spoke publicly for the first time to Israeli media, revealing his past involvement in suppressing protests, his recruitment into the extremist Basij militia, and shared details into the Islamic Republic’s reaction to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July of last year.

“It was an incredibly precise intelligence operation,” he said. “Mossad knew exactly where he was staying, down to the room number. It showed just how deeply Israeli intelligence had penetrated the IRGC.

“The Revolutionary Guards were in complete shock,” he added. “They didn’t even issue a statement. Israeli intelligence is highly effective, though their ground operations still have weaknesses, according to IRGC personnel.”

The assassination of Haniyeh was just the beginning. Months later, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was also eliminated. But the biggest blow came when Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria collapsed, a development Javad described as devastating for Tehran.

“The IRGC lost one of its strongest fronts in Syria,” he explained. “Now, Syria is acting in Israel’s interests against Hezbollah. That was a crushing defeat for Iran.”

He added: “Israel has been systematically targeting key figures. Even Nasrallah admitted Hezbollah had suffered a serious setback. The IRGC knows Hamas and Hezbollah may never fully recover, so they’re putting their hopes in advancing operations from Yemen.”

“I’m Shi’ite, and until recently, there were videos of me at rallies,” Javad said. “But I see things differently now. The ones calling Israel corrupt are drowning in corruption themselves.”

According to Javad, government corruption has spiraled out of control.

“Corruption in Iran has doubled,” he said. “People are starting to wake up.”

When asked if others in the IRGC shared his doubts, he recalled an incident in Tehran.

“During a mission, one of the Revolutionary Guards jokingly said ‘Death to Palestine,’ and we all laughed. But if he had said it seriously, they would have silenced him immediately.”

A former supporter of the regime

Javad was a staunch supporter of the regime, but he found himself persecuted from within, losing his religious privileges and social standing. The betrayal shattered his faith in the Islamic Revolution.

Other former members of the Islamic Republic's military who spoke to N12 include Arash, a former lieutenant colonel in the Iranian Air Force and special forces veteran, who shared an insider’s view of Iran’s military structure.

Iran’s armed forces are divided between the IRGC, which is loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and funds proxy militias, and the regular Iranian Army, which is gradually being weakened as resources are funneled elsewhere. Tensions between the two have escalated, particularly after Israeli airstrikes crippled Iran’s air defense systems.

Arash claimed that some within the regular army are waiting for an opportunity to turn against the regime.

“If another attack happens, it could spark open conflict between the IRGC and the army,” he said. “The Iranian Army is made up of ordinary people. That’s why they’re more disillusioned with the regime compared to the Revolutionary Guards.”

Both Javad and Arash expressed support for Israeli military action against Iran’s ruling elite.

“Israel took out the S-300 air defense systems provided by Russia. Now, Iran is left with outdated technology from the Iran-Iraq War,” Javad admitted. “No country likes being attacked, but in this case, 95% of Iranians were happy when Israel struck those sites.” Arash agreed with Javad's statement.

“People want Israel to go even further—hit IRGC bases, take out Quds Force commanders—so that the people can rise up and overthrow the regime themselves," Arash said. “Netanyahu should order a strike on Khamenei’s residence. Then, the army could seize political centers and declare Iran’s freedom.” Javad echoed this sentiment.

“Israel doesn’t chant ‘Death to Iran.’ We were once allies. Now we hope Israel’s military strength can help the Iranian people reclaim their country.”

These testimonies provide a rare window into the fractures within Iran’s military and growing discontent among its ranks. As tensions escalate, their accounts suggest that opposition to the regime may be far deeper than it appears.

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Originally Published by The Jerusalem Post  PHOTO: Funeral of members of Iran's IRGC who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Syria, in Tehran