Senior political source to Walla: "Mojtaba Khamenei is alive - but it is doubtful if he is the one making the decisions"

A senior political source claimed today (Wednesday) in a briefing to reporters that Iran is at a point of severe weakness and is deterred from a direct strike by Israel. Alongside this, he detailed the extent of the damage to the Iranian nuclear project, revealed plans for military action in refugee camps in the West Bank, and addressed the sensitive contacts with the administration in Washington.

According to the source, the regime in Iran is at a more complex point of weakness than before, but continues to pose a threat. "There is a degree of deterrence on their part towards us," the source said. "Up to this moment, they have not attacked us directly, but in the region, including in Jordan. They understand that a direct front against Israel will be met with a high-intensity response."

The source detailed the goals set regarding Iran's nuclear project and missile array, and claimed that Israel achieved a severe blow to the regime's assets in Tehran: "The goal is to bring the nuclear program to an end. The elimination of about 20 scientists removed a critical mass of knowledge. Alongside this, attacks were carried out on conversion means and centrifuges, and we destroyed the production floor of the ballistic missiles. Today, the regime holds an arsenal of only about 1,500 to 1,600 missiles."

However, the source clarified that in Jerusalem they do not rule out further actions: "If required, we will not hesitate to act against the 'iron' and the metastases. There will be no containment of aggression or the nuclear program."

According to the senior political source, Israel does not believe that the Iranian nuclear program has been completely destroyed. "The goal is how to bring the nuclear program to an end," he said, adding that Israel acted against nuclear scientists, enrichment facilities, centrifuges, and other infrastructure, and succeeded in setting the program back "but not forever." According to him, "at Mount Machosh, no enrichment of centrifuges is taking place," and he clarified that Israel will not hesitate to act again against any attempt to restore the nuclear program or Iran's ballistic missile array.

According to the analysis provided by the source, within the regime in Tehran, arguments are taking place between the elements fearing economic collapse and the hardline wing. Regarding the condition of the Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, he noted: "He is alive, but it is difficult to assess if he is the one making the decisions in practice. Apart from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the regime has very few cards left. The economic damage directly affects the supply of basic goods to the population, but it is doubtful that this will bring it down by itself."

On the political level, the source addressed the talks held recently between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in the American administration, including envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President J.D. Vance. In response to a question from Walla about the nature of the meeting with Vice President Vance, the source noted that it was the Prime Minister who requested to hold the meeting. The source defined the meeting as a "candid conversation" and noted that Netanyahu initiated it against the backdrop of Vance's criticism of the Prime Minister and the coalition, while Donald Trump repeatedly raised the issue of Netanyahu's trial on his own initiative.

Regarding President Erdogan, he said: "This man wants to renew the Ottoman Empire, talks about the elimination of the State of Israel, his senior minister says he wants to be the governor of Jerusalem, and I think that Netanyahu managed to convince Donald Trump."

Regarding the contacts with President Donald Trump, the source clarified that no dictates were presented, but only situation analyses. "There are assessments of where the president is aiming, but things change. Both sides understand that in the absence of a physical ability of the Iranian people to defend themselves against the regime, the ability to bring about change from within is limited and other means must be sought."

According to the source, the Prime Minister sought to show the US President that Israel holds only a limited area in Syria compared to Turkey, and that the purpose of the presence is defense against ISIS and others. Netanyahu arrived at his meeting with Donald Trump equipped with maps; this is perhaps routine, but this time there was another reason, blocking the demand for withdrawals. According to the source, one of his goals was to illustrate to the American President the security reality in Syria and to present the gap between the scale of the Israeli presence and that of Turkey.

According to the source, Netanyahu presented to Donald Trump data according to which Turkey holds about 5% of Syria's territory, while Israel holds only about 0.1%. He explained that the Israeli presence is intended to deal with threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist organizations. "Sometimes the president has certain assumptions, and if you don't change them, they become fixed," the source said, adding that this was one of the reasons Netanyahu chose to present the data visually to Donald Trump. According to him, the Syria issue was not the focus of the meeting, but a prelude to the main discussion — Iran.

In the local arena, the source expressed concern about the increase in terror in the West Bank: "After a significant decrease in the scope of terror, additional incidents have accumulated recently. We are considering acting against the hubs that remain in the refugee camps. The Prime Minister asked the security establishment to prepare a work plan on the matter." It was also clarified that the clearance funds of the Palestinian Authority will continue to be frozen at this stage.