Larijani explained, during a television interview broadcast Sunday evening, that Israel sought not only to target Iran's political and military infrastructure, but also to directly threaten the Supreme Leader, in an attempt to quickly dismantle the state structure.
Larijani noted that the Israeli plan included targeting senior Iranian leaders during a leadership meeting, as a prelude to undermining the regime. He added that the next step in this process was to directly threaten Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Larijani asserted that Israeli and American bets on the collapse of the Iranian people's support for their government were wrong, explaining that the people's unity and resilience forced Israel to reconsider its calculations.
He also noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was betting on subduing the Iranian people, but Iran's demonstration of its missile capabilities was a decisive factor in the course of the war.
According to Larijani, third-party mediation began on June 21, after Israel realized it would not achieve its goals through the aggression.
It is noteworthy that Israel, with US support, launched a large-scale attack on June 13 that lasted 12 days, targeting military and nuclear sites and civilian facilities in Iran, in addition to assassinating military leaders and nuclear scientists.
Tehran responded by bombing Israeli military and intelligence facilities using ballistic missiles and drones.
On June 22, the United States launched strikes on facilities inside Iran, claiming to have "ended" its nuclear program. Iran responded the next day by bombing the US Al Udeid base in Qatar. On June 24, Washington declared a ceasefire between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
The extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities remains unclear. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian simply stated that the aggression had not achieved its objectives, without providing further details.
The United States and Israel insist that the strikes destroyed or delayed Iran's nuclear program by years, while a leaked report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency stated that the effect was limited to delaying the program by only a few months.
Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies, asserting that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, including generating electricity.
In contrast, Israel, the only country in the region with a nuclear arsenal, maintains its arsenal outside the supervision of international bodies and continues to occupy territories in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon for decades.
