Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that the attack on Oman was “not our choice”, implying that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s elite force, which is carrying out the attacks against US and Israeli military bases in the Middle East, is acting independently.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, the minister said some of the military units have become independent and somewhat isolated, and are operating only on pre-issued ‘general instructions.’
“What happened in Oman was not our choice. We have already told our Armed Forces to be careful about the targets they choose,” Araghchi said.
"As a matter of fact, our military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated, and they are acting based on instructions - you know, general instructions - given to them in advance," he added.
The IRGC usually reports to the Supreme Leader or the top clergy position, which was held by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the Israel-US joint strikes on Sunday.
The force is therefore now without a leader heading it. Aragchi’s statement also implies that the military is currently acting on orders given by Khamenei before he was assassinated.
The remarks come as Iran expanded its drone and missile strikes on US military bases around the Middle East for a second day.
An oil tanker off the coast of Oman’s Musandam was reportedly hit during a strike. The country’s Duqm port was also attacked, leaving four injured.
Muscat has been a neutral mediator between the US and Iran during all of the recent tensions.
Araghchi also said that he had been in touch with several of his counterparts, particularly from Oman and Qatar, to clarify that Tehran was not seeking a confrontation.
He said that many of the leaders acknowledged that the conflict had been forced on Iran.
Tehran views the war as an escalation imposed on them and said that “it is not our choice:
“They [Gulf partners] shouldn’t pressurise us to stop this war. They should pressurise the other side,” he said.
The IRGC said that it would go all out for revenge for the assassination of Khamenei. In a post on X, they said they would deliver a “lesson-giving punishment to aggressors against the Islamic homeland.”
Despite having a smaller number of troops than the country’s regular military, the IRGC has extensive power with its own ground, naval and air forces. Its branches also include a covert operation force called the Quds and an intelligence and volunteer arm called the Basij.
The group also has private enterprises including a construction company, ports telecommunication networks and even laser eye surgery centres.
Araghchi said that Iran would appoint a new supreme leader within one or two days.
The country is currently in a 40-day mourning period for the killing of Khamenei.