Tehran – Mansour Haghighat Pour, former commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and ex-aide to General Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force, has declared that there is no fear for Gaza's tunnels; they will continue to haunt the occupation as those overseeing their design have taken all conceivable "scenarios" into account.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Net, Pour revealed that the axis of resistance had collaborated with Palestinians to construct over 400 kilometers of tunnels beneath an area not exceeding 40 square kilometers, confirming that the Palestinian side in the tunnels knows precisely how to handle all potential challenges.
The retired Brigadier General Mansour Haghighat Pour previously served as an advisor to the Iranian Parliament's presidency and was a longstanding member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the parliament.
In this interview, he discusses the progression of the Gaza battle, the impact of the Houthi-led maritime war in the Red Sea, and explains his country's stance on the formation of any international coalition to ensure maritime navigation in the region.
How do you assess the course of the "Al-Aqsa Tidal Wave" operation so far, and which side is achieving victory on the ground?
What we are witnessing in Gaza is nothing but the resistance and bravery of an unarmed people who believe in their cause, facing off against a global military arsenal. We see that the allies of the "Zionist entity," especially the United States, Britain, and some NATO members, are hastening to supply their most advanced military equipment to quash the Palestinian resistance, which has humiliated both the occupation and its backers, possessing the upper hand in the ongoing battle.
Despite the "Israeli entity’s" intensification of its assaults on women and children, its relentless targeting of infrastructure for the purpose of displacing the inhabitants of the besieged Gaza Strip, the resistance continues to hold the upper hand in the battle.
On the other hand, the "occupation entity" and its Western allies possess the upper hand in violating human rights, committing massacres against civilians, and using all types of internationally banned weapons against an unarmed populace.
We believe that the "Al-Aqsa Tidal Wave" battle has exposed the fragility of the "Israeli entity," the mediatic warfare led by the Western and Hebrew media moguls has failed, and it has demonstrated the Palestinian people's ability and resolve to liberate their land from the occupation’s defilement.
Moreover, the battle has brought the Palestinian issue back into the global spotlight, swaying the international public opinion in favor of the Palestinian plight. In contrast, the Israeli side has not yet achieved any of its declared objectives.
How does the second round of the battle differ from the preceding ground operation that preceded the temporary humanitarian ceasefire?
The second phase of the battle is characterized by an escalation of Israeli madness in targeting civilians and infrastructure, to accomplish something tangible on the ground but to no avail. This confirms their failure and acceptance of defeat to date.
The resumption of Israeli shelling following the humanitarian truce is a clear admission by the occupation's leaders of their defeat, and they regard indiscriminate and random bombardment as a way to destroy the sector, hoping to present its scorched earth as an achievement, while neither human reasoning nor military conventions regard the bombardment of civilians as a sign of victory; rather, as an indication of failure and defeat.
Why did the Israeli government feel compelled to resume the battle despite knowing the cost would be steep?
"The Zionist entity" made a grave mistake by resuming aggression on Gaza, assuming that its military might would tip the scales of the battle in its favor, yet it neglected to learn from the American experience in their invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Israeli leadership is clinging to continue the aggression to find an honorable way out, by striking painful blows to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). This is an outcome they have yet to and will not achieve on the ground; for those behind it possess the upper hand in urban warfare and guerrilla tactics, which are unfolding on their terrain.
The nature of classic battles is entirely different from guerrilla warfare, and this is something that the Israeli side failed to fully consider before launching a ground operation in Gaza.
A sign of Israeli army disarray in its ongoing operation in Gaza and the collapse of its morale, statistics indicate that 20% of the occupying forces’ casualties were from friendly fire; because the nature of the battle is entirely different than expected, lacking a front line or a forward-facing front.
How significant is the loss of a clear front line, which facilitates the zero-distance targeting of Israeli forces and their military hardware?
One of the hallmark characteristics of guerrilla warfare is the absence of a clear front line, which favors the natives in targeting invading forces. Over decades, the Palestinian resistance has armed the regions of Gaza and created reinforcements both above and below ground, especially in areas controlled by the resistance, and they are now using those fortifications to target enemy forces from zero distance.
It is well understood that as the battle continues, zero-distance attacks on Israeli forces will escalate because the Israeli army engaging in guerrilla warfare in Gaza is no less dangerous than entering a minefield.
In your opinion, to what extent can the Israeli leadership endure a high rate of casualties among its forces, including high-ranking officers?
"The Zionist entity" is not well-adjusted to enduring long-term battles, and the Israeli leadership faces enormous pressure to end the conflict.
We believe that as time passes, it is not in Israel's favor, and if the war continues for another month, the Israeli army will leave Gaza dragging the tails of defeat and disgrace. With time, pressure from the Israeli public will intensify, particularly from the families of prisoners, and support for Tel Aviv from the Western bloc will decline.
Israel vowed from day one of the "Al-Aqsa Tidal Wave" operation to destroy Gaza's tunnel network, and it seems intent on flooding them with sea water. Do you see this as a feasible plan?
The occupation has uncovered only the tiniest fraction of Gaza's tunnel networks since they are not a unified system. A part of what was found was a trap that inflicted significant casualties on the occupying forces, making them fear to enter.
"The Israeli entity" cannot flood the tunnels with water because it knows that its prisoners are held there, with some of those Hamas had released confirming this. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeds with this, the repercussions will be severe for him.
Yet, we believe he is incapable of completely flooding the tunnels; they were built in separate parts, not as a unified network. The resistance has prepared to disconnect and subdivide them into smaller portions. Therefore, there is no fear for their safety, and they will remain a nightmare for the occupation.
Another point I would like to highlight is that the axis of resistance, which planned with the Palestinians the construction of over 400 kilometers of tunnels in an area not exceeding 40 square kilometers, took all potential "scenarios" into consideration.
These scenarios include flooding the tunnels with water, pumping in toxic gas, or blowing up parts of them. Hence, the Palestinian side within the tunnels knows full well how to deal with all challenges they might face.
What is your reading of the Houthis' naval battles against Israeli ships and vessels heading to occupied territories, and their impact on the course of the battle?
The Yemeni group Ansar Allah (Houthis) has assumed the role of supporting Gaza, based on Islamic teachings that call for aiding the oppressed. They have vowed to halt the navigation of ships heading to "the Zionist entity" in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, which will exert additional pressure on Israel, especially in terms of securing the ships heading to the occupied Palestinian territories.
We suggest that the Houthis not only confiscate the cargo of ships en route to Israel but also the ships carrying such cargo originating from Islamic countries.
How do you view the Islamic Republic's warning to the United States that it would face extraordinary problems should it want to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea? Is Tehran actually capable of carrying out these threats?
Iran's stance is clear in this regard. We oppose any international coalition formation in our region, and we see the Western insistence on assembling such a force as merely increasing targets for the Yemeni navy to conduct military drills at sea and near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
In Tehran, we have previously opposed the formation of such a coalition on the pretext of ensuring maritime navigation in Gulf waters, and the project failed due to political and operational opposition. We say again that it is the same warning, and the determination and options remain the same.
I would like to draw the attention of those who doubt Iran's ability to carry out its threats to the downing of the American "Global Hawk" drone, which the Revolutionary Guards shot down in 2019 after it entered Iranian airspace.
