‘Enemy is now pursuing other means’: Iran says US, Israel still seek to overthrow Islamic Republic

As prospects of a truce between Tehran and Washington gained momentum amid ongoing negotiations, Iran on Wednesday (May 27) accused the United States and Israel of continuing efforts to overthrow the Islamic Republic and destabilise the country.

“The enemy is now pursuing through other means the objective of overthrowing and partitioning the country, which it openly declared at the beginning of the recent war but failed to achieve through military attack,” the Islamic Republic's intelligence ministry said in a statement carried by Iranian Media.

The remarks came as Tehran and Washington continued discussions aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war that began on February 28 and expanded across West Asia.

According to the statement, Iranian intelligence had received information suggesting that the United States and Israel planned to increase economic pressure on Iran, fuel divisions among religious and ethnic communities and carry out sabotage operations and other “terrorist operations”.

The ministry further alleged that such efforts would include the large-scale smuggling of weapons, ammunition and illegal communication equipment, particularly Starlink satellite internet devices.

For decades, Iran and Israel have remained engaged in a shadow conflict involving covert operations, attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and assassinations of nuclear scientists.

Also Read: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ fund has zero deposits despite billion-dollar pledges: Report

The latest statement from Tehran reflects continuing mistrust despite diplomatic exchanges aimed at ending the conflict.

Revolutionary Guards say return to war unlikely

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday said that a return to direct conflict with the United States was unlikely, while also warning that the country remained fully prepared to respond to any military action.

The remarks came a day after Iran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire that has been in effect since April. Tehran had also warned that it was ready to retaliate following what it described as the most serious strikes since the truce came into force.

The ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington are being closely watched across the region as efforts continue to prevent a renewed escalation in the Middle East.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)