HOW IRAN AND ITS ALLIES HOPE TO SAVE HAMAS
“We kiss the foreheads and the arms of the shrewd and astute planners and the courageous Palestinian youth.” On Oct. 10, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
expressed his unambivalent support for Hamas’ attack against Israel. Yet he swiftly repudiated any Iranian involvement, claiming, “Those who attribute the acts of the Palestinians to outsiders fail to understand the Palestinian people. They have underestimated them.” Khamenei’s remarks perfectly encapsulate Iran’s stance on the war in Gaza over the past month: championing Palestinian “resistance” against Israel while concurrently underscoring the autonomy of Hamas and other “resistance movements.” Indeed, both
U.S. and
Israeli authorities have, so far, found no concrete evidence linking Iran directly to the attack. Yet Iran’s extensive military, economic, and political backing for Hamas is widely acknowledged.
At the same time, Khamenei and other Iranian officials have been
warning both Israel and its allies that their actions in Gaza could trigger escalation. Against this backdrop, there have already been increased hostilities between Israel and Hizballah along the Lebanese border, as well as rocket
strikes against the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syrian territories. Meanwhile, Iranian-supported militias in Iraq have escalated their operations against U.S. assets. In less than a month, between Oct. 17 and Nov. 13, there have been
52 recorded incidents targeting U.S. entities in both countries. Finally, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen have also
proclaimed their participation in the conflict, launching missile and drone attacks targeting southern Israel.
“We kiss the foreheads and the arms of the shrewd and astute planners and the courageous Palestinian youth.” On Oct. 10, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
warontherocks.com