Iranian officials helped plan the surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported terrorist group, stated that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been working with Hamas since August to orchestrate the land, air, and sea attacks, which have left more than 1,100 people dead, including nine Americans.
Another 2,000 people were injured and abducted in the attack, which is considered the worst since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Israeli authorities estimated that 3,500 rockets had been fired from Gaza into Israel. Hamas fighters also used paragliders to enter Israeli territ
ory and conduct a devastating ground assault.
U.S. officials, at this time, deny having seen evidence of any involvement by Iran.
“There’s a long relationship between Iran and Hamas. In fact, Hamas wouldn’t be around in the way that it is without the support that it’s received from Iran over the years,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an interview after the attack.
“In this specific instance, we have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there’s certainly a long relationship,” he added. “It’s one of the reasons why we have been resolutely taking action against Iran and its support for terrorists and terrorist proxies and other groups over the last few years of this administration. We’ve sanctioned more than 400 Iranian individuals and entities, precisely because of their support for things like Hamas.”
WSJ reported that a European official and adviser to the Syrian government provided the same account as the Hamas and Hezbollah members of Iranian involvement in the attack.
A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations said Tehran supported Gaza’s actions but had no role in directing them.
“The decisions made by the Palestinian resistance are fiercely autonomous and unwaveringly aligned with the legitimate interests of the Palestinian people,” the spokesman said. “We are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself.”
Following the attack, the U.S. began moving military assets into the region, including the dispatch of an aircraft carrier and additional aircraft.
“We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. “In addition, the United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days.”
