NYT: Iranian Hardliners Staged Unauthorized July Hormuz Attacks That Sank a Near-Complete US-Iran Peace Deal

The New York Times reported that a hardline faction led by cleric Hossein Taeb -- former head of IRGC intelligence and recently appointed to lead the Basij militia -- launched unauthorized attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz in early July without the knowledge of President Pezeshkian, Iran's civilian leadership, or even IRGC chief Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, effectively killing a near-complete US-Iran memorandum of understanding. According to Iranian officials cited in the report, Pezeshkian was 'surprised' by the attacks and angrily called Vahidi, who said he had neither authorized nor known of the strikes beforehand. The revelation triggered what the report called some of the most volatile disagreements among Iran's leaders in recent years, with several officials threatening to resign. The report attributes hardliners' ability to act unilaterally to a leadership vacuum, noting Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father in March.