It’s been almost ten days now since Hamas’s atrocious terror attack on Israel, and as we look deeper into the web of Middle Eastern politics, Iran is still present as the elephant in the room — despite their denial of any prior knowledge of this attack. But the evidence just keeps piling up.
The Hamas’ attack on Israel last weekend has renewed attention to the long-standing relationship between the Palestinian armed group and Iran. It also raised questions about the group’s ability to pull off such an advanced and devastating operation by itself.
Iran has a history of arming and training proxy militias in the region. This includes groups from Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. It has supported Hamas in a military capacity and helped the group design and manufacture a missile and rocket system that matches the capabilities and materials available in Gaza, an impoverished and densely populated coastal area that has been under blockade by Israel and Egypt for the last 16 years.
Over the last year, signs have emerged that Iran and its proxy states were planning to adopt a more aggressive stance toward Israel.
Iran has been very clear about this throughout the years. When a medieval theocracy such as Iran declares its intentions, the world must listen. The desire to destroy Israel was one of the only honest statements Iran made since the 1979 Revolution.
It is well documented that the Islamic Republic supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Islamic terror organizations. There have also been meetings that smell a lot of planning meetings. It seems as if they started as early as March last year. The involvement of Hezbollah is also important. Paul Cruickshank posted the receipts on Twitter:
New York Times: “Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, held an hourslong online meeting in March with an elite group of strategists from all the Iran-backed militias and told them to get ready for a war with Israel with a scope and reach — including a ground invasion — that…
— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) October 13, 2023
We have the Hezbollah leader talking to “strategists”, who are in charge of coordinating Iran’s “proxy forces” — that is irregular forces, funded and equipped with Iranian equipment, like Hamas, and other “militias”, meeting with Hamas leaders and Hezbollah over the past year. The meeting also included plans for a ground invasion. Iran claims the Hamas attacks caught them off guard, but timelines show otherwise.
New York Times: “Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, held an hourslong online meeting in March with an elite group of strategists from all the Iran-backed militias and told them to get ready for a war with Israel with a scope and reach — including a ground invasion — that…
— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) October 13, 2023
There’s no way to know who “some people are,” but we can see that there is a connection between Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, long before these two groups attempt to tag-team Israel.
New York Times: “Over the past six months, Hezbollah created provocations meant to mislead and distract Israel along its northern border with Lebanon and in Syria so it would think the real threat was coming from those areas, according to two Iranians briefed after the attack.”
— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) October 13, 2023
Hamas recently announced that Iran would provide direct support. This included placing missiles where they could be used to support Hamas’ operations. This is not an overnight operation. It requires the staging of vehicles, equipment, and logistical support. Hamas says that missiles were placed in the past, but if we believe them, this operation was underway for more than just a few days. Iran’s leader sent out a vague message, four days before the attack, from his safe haven in Tehran. While it was not confirmed, this could very well be interpreted as a “Go” order.
New York Times: “In various meetings of Iran’s proxy militias, several attendees said, the emphasis from leaders was that it was time to take advantage of Israel’s seething internal divisions over the judicial overhaul pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right…
— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) October 13, 2023
Iran has and will continue to claim that it is surprised by the actions Hamas took on October 7th, and ever since. There is proof of coordination, including actual military support. However, there are signs that Iran may be reversing its position. A wider regional war is possible.
“On Oct. 3, four days before Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, Mr. Khamenei’s official account in Farsi posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said: “Israel will be gone.””
Read the full article here: https://t.co/06m6QBcwDk— Paul Cruickshank (@CruickshankPaul) October 13, 2023
This calculation may be affected by the presence of two US aircraft carriers in eastern Med. It could be that it doesn’t.
Of course, it’s possible that Iran didn’t know all the details of the Hamas attack on southern Israel — the date, the time, the approach routes, and so forth. This gives them a plausible denial when the international community confronts them about their support of some of the most horrific atrocities in recent history. Iran’s support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Islamic terrorist groups is undeniable. The Biden administration’s easing of sanctions against Iran has undoubtedly encouraged them, not to mention the fact that they believe the current leadership of the United States is ineffective and weak.
The Middle East was a volatile region throughout recorded history. Since 1948, Israel has been surrounded by madmen who are determined to wipe Israel from the map. There will never be peace unless Iran stops supporting terrorist groups and provoking them.
