Iran reads what Israeli officials say, and claims it is winning

Iranian regime media is a constant consumer of Israeli media. Despite their claims of wanting to destroy Israel and complaining about the “Zionist” regime, they need Israeli media to confirm their own claims of vast operational abilities. Iran recently tested missiles and drones in a military drill and it tends to eagerly await Israeli coverage of the tests so it can then launder the reports to make it appear Iran has achieved, what it claimed to have achieved. In a sense Iran’s media, and by extension, its leadership and IRGC analysts, use Israeli media and Israeli officials as their “fact-checkers.” When they want a fact to be true, they wait to see if Israelis are also saying the same thing.

In recent months Iran has tended to think that it may be closer to achieving its stated goals. This isn’t just about bragging that it can destroy Israel. Iran routinely makes these kinds of comments. Iran has warned Israel of a “crushing response” to Israeli actions in November 2020. In May 2021 the head of the IRGC claimed Israel could be destroyed in one operation. This coincided with the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. The recent missile tests were reportedly a “warning” to Israel. READ MORE