Iran Directly Helped Hamas Prepare Terror Attack On Israel - WSJ

In an exclusive report on Sunday, the WSJ quoted senior unnamed Hamas and Hezbollah members, who said Iranian officials were involved in planning the large-scale operation and the final decision to launch the operation was made in Beirut October 2.

The Iranian regime has not shied away from signaling its involvement and support to Hamas, which is largely financed and armed by Tehran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Ebrahim Raisi and a host of other officials and the state media have widely expressed their satisfaction with the attack.

The fact that senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials spoke about Iran’s direct involvement could be sign of Tehran’s eagerness to show its reach as Israel and Saudi Arabia were on the verge of establishing diplomatic relations. Iran had warned against any normalization with Israel.

Despite the Iranian regime’s open endorsement of the attack and its long-standing material support for Hamas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday stated that the United States does not have any evidence of Tehran’s direct involvement.

The Biden administration has come under heavy criticism for continuing diplomatic contacts with the Islamic Republic and agreeing to release $8.7 billion in blocked Iranian funds since June. Critics say that any financial means put at the disposal of the regime will enable it to finance terrorism in the region and the world.