Iran shows no signs of wavering despite leadership strikes: Report

HAMILTON, Canada

Iran's ruling structure has not been threatened by major military operations amid an escalation of hostilities for more than six days with 12 nations drawn into the conflict across the Middle East, according to a Washington Post report Thursday.

Citing European and Arab officials briefed on assessments of the regime's standing, the report said that no meaningful defections or street uprisings have emerged inside Iran since the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes across the country.

A senior European official told the Post on condition of anonymity that not a single sign of fracture had been detected within the system and that the regime's control remained complete.

It noted that Iran had built redundant leadership layers designed to keep functioning even after top figures are eliminated, with new commanders appointed within days of their predecessors being killed.

Saying that US intelligence found no early indicators of internal collapse, the report also cited a senior Arab official who said that Gulf nations had expected the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to trigger mass mobilization against the regime but said the anticipated public backlash never materialized.

Tensions have surged in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran starting Feb. 28, killing over 1,000 people, including Khamenei and more than 165 elementary schoolgirls.

Israel has expanded the conflict against Hezbollah in Lebanon as well.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked sites in Gulf countries, disrupting energy routes.