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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reviews armed forces during a graduation ceremony for armed forces officers at the Imam Ali academy in Tehran, Iran October 10, 2023. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran's top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated that Tehran was not connected to the recent attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas. However, he praised what he described as Israel's "irreparable" military and intelligence defeat.
During his first televised speech since the attack, Ayatollah Khamenei, adorned with a Palestinian scarf, emphasized that Tehran was not implicated in the offensive but expressed admiration for those behind the attack on the "Zionist regime." He characterized the assault as a "destructive earthquake" that inflicted significant damage on Israel. Khamenei attributed the responsibility for this situation to the actions of the Israeli government, suggesting that Israel's policies had contributed to the crisis. Israel has long accused Iran of supplying arms to Hamas, which it views as fomenting violence. Iran, which does not recognize Israel, acknowledges offering moral and financial support to the group, which governs the Gaza Strip.
Iran has maintained unwavering support for the Palestinian cause since the 1979 revolution. This stance has been instrumental in positioning the predominantly Shiite country as a leader within the Muslim world. The United States declared on Monday that Iran had played a complicit role in Hamas' assault on Israel. Nevertheless, U.S. officials clarified that they lacked intelligence or concrete evidence to substantiate this claim. The top U.S. general also cautioned Iran against involvement in the ongoing crisis, expressing a desire to prevent further escalation.
Israel reported that it had regained control of the Gaza border and was in the process of planting mines in areas where militants had breached the barrier during the recent violent assault. This development followed another night of intense Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned that an attack on Gaza would provoke a significantly stronger outpouring of anger. He criticized Israel's efforts to depict itself as a victim and warned that such a calculation would result in even greater catastrophe.
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Israeli television channels reported that the death toll from the Hamas attack had risen to 900, with at least 2,600 individuals injured. Gaza's Health Ministry stated that Israeli airstrikes had resulted in the deaths of at least 687 Palestinians and left 3,726 wounded in the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
