Well, I think there's no question the hard-line pressure was ratcheted up exponentially when Donald Trump pulled out of that 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions on the Iranian economy.
One argument put forward by hard-liners is that the defiance plays into the hands of Iran's external enemies who, in the words of one influential ayatollah, want " to rob us of the rule of religion."
President Isaac Herzog's remarks Wednesday in his speech to Congress acknowledge " intense and painful debate" at home over actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline government.
In Iran moderates did well in elections to the parliament, inflicting defeats on hardliners despite their attempts to stop the moderates from standing.