A new expose by the Wall Street Journal revealed Iran's secret plan to escalate the war, warning that Tehran was preparing to intensify its conflict with the United States and Israel, while continuing to engage in talks and reach agreements with the US.
The report also said that Iranian leadership sought to increase the price the United States would be forced to pay as part of the confrontation, while simultaneously preparing for a future conflict with the US and Israel.
WSJ also noted that following the June signing of a memorandum of understanding with the US - a memorandum which expires Monday - elements within the Iranian leadership did not view the move as an end to the war, but rather as part of broader preparations for the continuation of the conflict. The report emphasized that from the moment the memorandum was signed, Iran's leadership had already decided to violate it.
According to Arab and Iranian sources, hardliners in the Iranian leadership met after the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran was signed and decided to prepare for the next war with the US and Israel. They believed that the agreed ceasefire was merely an attempt to mitigate the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the global economy.
Following the meeting, the Iranian leadership decided to grant the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps greater authority over Iran's military, appoint several veteran commanders from the Iran-Iraq War to senior positions, and accelerate the production of missiles and UAVs. It was also after this meeting that Iran began violating the memorandum of understanding by attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and expanding its attacks into the Red Sea in an effort to increase pressure on Saudi Arabia.
Thus, during the "ceasefire" period, Tehran worked to strengthen Iran's military capabilities and prepare the country for the possibility of a larger war and another round of fighting. These preparations included measures to strengthen the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' chain of command and expand military capabilities, alongside an emphasis on missile and UAV systems.
At the same time, Iran sought to make matters more difficult for the United States and increase the costs of continuing the conflict, as part of an effort to influence Washington's willingness to continue engagement.
Arab intelligence agencies gathered information that reportedly includes evidence of Iran's new strategy, including communications between Iran and its terrorist proxies in Iraq and Yemen. The strategy is based on increasing the cost of the war for the US and attacking Gulf states. US officials warned Gulf countries, particularly Kuwait, that Iran's leaders were preparing to strike in "enemy territory."