Chatham

For their services, the Wagner Group and now Africa Corps are often paid directly in gold or in mining concessions, according to Alex Vines of the London-based Chatham House think-tank.

"Nobody wants to be called a bad ally for failing to meet the target," Jamie Shea, a former Nato official now working for the Chatham House think tank told BBC Verify.

"Khamenei's next moves will be the most consequential not just for his own survival but for how he will do down in history, " says Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at think tank, Chatham House.

"While Netanyahu has personally stacked his fortunes on regime change, the Israeli political and military establishment are committed to profoundly setting back Iran's nuclear program," says Dr Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Chatham House think tank.

Professor Yossi Mekelberg, of the Middle East Programme at Chatham House, says there has "always been support to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear military capabilities".