Iran's shadow over Hamas onslaught: Training, planning & ongoing accusations unveiled in new report

In a revelation that adds a new layer to the October 7 Hamas onslaught in Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported that 500 Palestine-based terrorists underwent "specialised combat training" in Iran just weeks before the deadly attack. Citing sources familiar with intelligence, the newspaper shed light on Iran's involvement, linking the training to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Israel has consistently pointed the finger at Iran, accusing it of playing a pivotal role in coordinating the Hamas attack. The assault successfully disabled the high-tech Gaza border fence, allowing terrorists to stream into Israel and carry out a devastating assault that claimed the lives of 1,400 Israelis, predominantly civilians. The attack also involved the taking of at least 224 hostages.

Despite Israel's accusations, Iran denies any involvement in planning the assault. The WSJ report highlighted the presence of Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force, at the training activities led by the IRGC. This raises questions about Iran's role, even as it publicly disavows any connection to the planning of the Hamas attack.

IDF points directly at Iran

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari directly implicated Iran in aiding Hamas, stating, "Iran had directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how." He emphasised that Iranian support continued even now, manifesting as intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in meetings with world leaders, condemned what he termed an "axis of evil" led by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. He painted a dire picture, stating that these entities were fighting to regress the Middle East and the world to the early Middle Ages.

While the WSJ implicated Iranian security officials in giving the green light for the assault, US officials pushed back, stating that their intelligence does not show a direct link between Iranian officials and the attack. However, they acknowledged Iran's longstanding support for Hamas.

Iran's rebuttal to US allegations at UN

Iran's representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, rejected the allegations made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In a statement, Iravani categorically denied the "groundless allegations" and criticised the attempt to place blame on Iran.

In a dramatic turn of events, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of "directing" the strikes carried out by Israel on Hamas. He went further, calling the US a "definite accomplice of criminals," during a speech in Tehran, suggesting American involvement in the ongoing conflict.

“The United States is in some way directing the crime that is being committed in Gaza,” he said, suggesting the hands of Americans “were tainted with the blood of the oppressed, children, patients, women and others.”

Tensions escalate as Tehran issued a warning to Israel, cautioning that the region could spiral "out of control" if the war in Gaza persists. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed the need for an immediate halt to the "crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza," hinting at the unpredictable consequences if the conflict persists.