Lebanon Says Hezbollah Pledges Not To Join War With Israel

Foreign ministry spokesperson Naser Kanaani told the media that Palestinians launched the attack relying on their own power and insisted that accusations against Iran have political motives.

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC on Sunday that Iran provided support to the Palestinian terror group to launch its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday. The Wall Street Journal also reported that both Hamas and Hezbollah sources confirmed the involvement of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in planning the attack and in the final decision to set a date.

The Iranian regime also immediately launched celebrations on Saturday while the killing of Israeli civilians was still going on, and even erected large banners in Tehran within hours bearing the codename for the operation, a fact that betrayed Iran’s foreknowledge of the attack.

The Iranian regime signaled its support for Hamas, which is largely financed and armed by Tehran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s social media, President Ebrahim Raisi and a host of other officials and the state media widely expressed their satisfaction with the attack the very first day.

Hardliner regime loyalists in Iran continued to defend their policies in supporting the Palestinian Islamic Hamas, some by issuing threats against regional countries.

"The best way to destroy Israel is the overthrow of the regional puppet governments. Israel does not have the audacity to attack Iran, with the advanced weapons we possess, we will destroy Israel. We have things they are unaware of." These were the words of Fereydoun Abbasi on Monday, a hardliner member of the Islamic parliament and a former head of Iran’s nuclear agency.

His reference to “puppet governments” is a typical label used by Iranian officials to refer to Saudi Arabia and its allies. Abbasi’s comment shows how shallow the apparent détente is between Tehran and Riyadh, who restored diplomatic ties in March with Chinese mediation. His comments, along with many others since October 7, also show more than ever the Iranian regime’s commitment to eradicate Israel.

Ali-Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to Ali Khamenei was quoted on Monday as telling his Syrian counterpart, “Those who believe that by so-called normalization of relations with the Zionists and cutting off ties with the Muslim nations of the region can solve their problems should take heed of these events.”

Kanaani also made it clear during his briefing that the Hamas attack was linked to the rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. He underlined that Khamenei had warned Arab countries last week not to engage in such a “gamble” and instead support the Palestinians.

The large-scale terror attack on Israel will probably keep the Islamic Republic firmly in the category of rogue regimes for some time to come. Statements by regime figures clearly show that Iran’s aging ruler Ali Khamenei took the Hamas gamble to disrupt the emerging normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. 

Since its inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic has relentlessly pursued an anti-West, anti-Israel ideology. Its foreign policy is to a large extent the by-product of this ideology based on 20th century propaganda rhetoric largely disseminated at the time by the Soviet Union and its Communist and leftist allies around the globe.

Following the Hamas invasion of Israel over the weekend, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, stated on Monday that "Tehran has called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss regional developments."

Iran denied involvement in the attacks in spite of a spokesman from Al-Qassem Brigades, the Hamas military wing, thanking Iran for its support on its Telegram channel. The onslaught which began on Saturday morning has resulted in the death of over 700 Israelis and the abduction of dozens of civilians and soldiers including women and children by the Iran-backed proxy. More than 400 Palestinians have also lost their lives in retaliatory airstrikes.

In spite of the close ties of Hamas to its biggest backer, Iran, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that there was so far no evidence implicating Iran in the recent attacks on Israel. High level meetings have seen Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh meet with regime leaders in Tehran and Beirut multiple times in recent weeks.

Seemingly in response to the allegations of Iran's involvement, Kanaani said, "Anyone who threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran should know that any foolish action will be met with a devastating response".

Meanwhile, Hossein Jalali, an Iranian MP, commented on Hamas's operation, dubbed Al Aqsa Storm, stating, "While we cannot physically participate in the conflict with Israel, we lend our support to Hamas." He added, "Our battle against Israel is waged through the resistance forces and their ideology."

Iran's support for Palestinian factions is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it backs across the Middle East, which extends Tehran's influence into Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Gaza. In 2018, the US Middle East envoy revealed the regime funds its Gaza proxy $100m annually.

The Hamas operation, considered the most significant incursion into Israel in decades which saw hundreds of militants infiltrate by land, sea and air, coincides with US-backed efforts to encourage Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a defense agreement between Washington and Riyadh.

The regime’s proxy in Gaza, Hamas, designated as a terror group by the likes of the UK and US, has taken around 150 hostages into Gaza after a mass infiltration into Israel on Saturday, including women and children.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden spoke again with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirming that “dozens” of American citizens are among the hostages seized.

It is Biden’s worst nightmare after a recent deal to secure the release of just five US-Iranian dual nationals saw the regime pocket $6bn in previously frozen funds from South Korea, and another $2.7 billion released from Iraq in June, although not officially part of the ransom. 

Robert O’Brien, the former national security adviser under Donald Trump’s presidency, has even called for American special forces to be deployed to Israel to rescue hostages, as the war continues to see the death toll climb beyond 700 on the Israeli side, and close to 500 on the Palestinian.

Speaking to Fox News, O’Brien said this weekend: “There is a direct correlation between taking Americans hostage and these big ransom payments. It has to end.”

Calling for the Biden administration to take urgent action after pictures of US-Israeli citizens began to circulate on social media, he said: “I think we need to get American servicemen who are specially trained to rescue hostages, we need to get them on the ground in Israel right away.”

The hostages in Gaza might prove to be one of the most difficult issues in this conflict, as they are now probably dispersed throughout the heavily populated Gaza strip and under armed guards. Once military operations subside one way or another, it is not clear what Hamas would demand for their release. If Israel invades the territory in full force, it is not clear what Hamas will do with the captives.

One of the citizens known to be missing is Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of hundreds caught up in the war at a festival in Israel’s south. Hundreds of partygoers are still missing, and hundreds were slaughtered as Hamas gunmen landed in the midst of the festival with gliders and went on a killing spree.

Born in Berkeley, California, Goldberg-Polin had recently been discharged from the Israeli army and was working as a medic and waiter in Jerusalem before traveling to India.

US officials have said that at least four American citizens were killed over the weekend and an additional seven were missing and unaccounted for. Dozens more dual nationals are feared missing including German and British passport holders, Thais and Mexicans.

In spite of secretary of state Antony Blinken claiming to have seen no evidence of Iran’s orchestrating the weekend’s atrocities, the US began making moves that cannot be seen as anything but a message to the regime.

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas from Iran and conducting surveillance.

The large deployment reflects a US desire to deter any regional expansion of the conflict. But the Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.

Hossein Salami, the IRGC Commander, declared, "Today, the people of Palestine are pursuing and arresting Israeli soldiers without any fear, and Israel can no longer declare victory. Today signifies the end of occupation and aggression, with even the Americans unable to save them."

His remarks coincide with reports from The Wall Street Journal, revealing multiple meetings held by the IRGC, Hamas, and Hezbollah to plan attacks on Israel in Beirut. Some of these meetings included Esmail Ghaani (Qaani), IRGC Quds Force Commander, and Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah.

The Iranian regime has openly signaled its involvement and support for Hamas, primarily through financial and arms support from Tehran and its leaders, Khamenei and Raisi, have both praised the weekend's onslaught.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt claimed Iran provided $100 million annually to Hamas.

The Biden administration has faced significant criticism for maintaining diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic and releasing $8.7 billion in blocked Iranian funds since June. Critics argue that providing financial resources to the regime enables it to fund terrorism in the region and globally.

In 2018, the US Treasury also revealed that it estimated funding to Hezbollah, Iran's Lebanese proxy and the biggest of its militia groups, was funded with at least $700m annually. 

The protest was captured in viral videos circulating during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The death toll from the recent attacks had risen to at least 700 in Israel since Saturday.

Regime leadership has expressed support for Hamas, the Iran-backed militant group that launched hundreds of rockets at Israel. In Tehran, lawmakers were seen chanting slogans such as "Death to Israel, Death to America" on Saturday.

While the Islamic Republic's propaganda apparatus had organized street celebrations in support of the "Palestinian victory" in Tehran and other cities on Saturday evening, sources in Iran indicated that the participants were predominantly pro-regime and supporters of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and their families. Ordinary Iranians had largely stayed away from these celebrations.

However, at the football match, a different sentiment emerged as Iranian fans voiced their opposition to Palestine. They could be heard shouting, "Take that Palestinian flag and shove it up your A**!"

Morgan Ortagus, a former US Department of State official, reacted to the video, expressing her admiration for the Iranian people.