Iran’s leadership said deeply shaken, divided over response to Nasrallah’s killing

Iran’s leadership is divided and bewildered over Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, four Iranian officials told The New York Times, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei apparently undecided about what to do next.

While conservative Iranians want a strong response, including a direct attack on Israel, moderates are urging restraint, the Saturday report said.

All of the four officials, two of whom are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, spoke on condition of anonymity.

They said news of Nasrallah’s death was received with shock and anxiety in Tehran, with some senior officials privately or in emergency meetings speculating that Israel may also strike Iran, with Khamenei as the target.

Amid heightened security, Khamenei was moved Saturday to a secure location from where he vowed revenge for Nasrallah’s death. READ MORE