British-Palestinian journalist Abdel Bari Atwan said in a May 10, 2026 interview on OTV in Lebanon that Israel’s alleged discovery of cells spying for Iran indicates that the conflict has entered a new and dangerous phase.
Atwan claimed that Israeli intelligence operations were not given much importance in the past, but that “now things are developing.” He then predicted that Israeli leaders would soon be assassinated, citing past Palestinian terror operations involving embassy bombings and airplane hijackings.
Atwan also claimed that Israel had assassinated senior members of Iran’s leadership, describing them as “old guard” figures over the age of 65. He said that a younger generation of Iranian leaders has now taken over — one trained in North Korea, China and Russia — and warned that this new leadership should not be underestimated.
The remarks reflect the increasingly open calls and predictions in pro-Iran media circles for escalation against Israeli leaders, as Tehran and its allies try to portray recent losses not as defeat, but as the beginning of a more dangerous phase.