Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly suggested targeting secret Israeli bases in Iran’s neighbouring countries.

According to a report from The Telegraph, Pezeshkian, the newly elected president and a comparative moderate who defeated the IRGC’s candidate in elections last month, is battling against the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in an attempt to prevent all-out war with Israel.

Tehran’s authorities are divided over how to respond to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, in the Iranian capital on July 31.

Top generals within the IRGC are insisting on a direct strike on Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, focusing on military bases to avoid civilian casualties.

Iran has previously targeted what it refers to as “spy bases” of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The ultimate responsibility for deciding how Iran will respond rests with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.

“Mr Pezeshkian fears that any direct attack on Israel would have serious consequences,” said a close aide to the president.

“He mentioned that we were lucky that Iran did not go to an all-out war with Israel last time and maybe not this time,” they added, referring to the April 13 attack when Iran fired more than 300 suicide drones and missiles at Israel.