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Iran’s Supreme Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh in early November. Photo/Middle East Monitor
TEHERAN – Three senior officials revealed that Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, conveyed a clear message to Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, when the two met in Tehran in early November.
That message is: You gave us no warning of your October 7 attack on Israel and we will not fight in your name.
Khamenei told Haniyeh that Iran – a long-time supporter of Hamas – would continue to provide political and moral support to the group, but would not intervene directly. This was revealed by Iranian and Hamas officials who were familiar with the discussions and asked not to be named so they could speak freely.
“The top leadership is pressuring Haniyeh to silence the voices of Palestinian groups who are openly calling on Iran and its powerful ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, to join the fight against Israel with full force,” a Hamas official told Reuters as quoted by Al Arabiya, Thursday ( 11/16/2023).
Hezbollah was also shocked by Hamas attacks last month that killed 1,200 Israelis; its fighters were not even on standby in villages near the border that were the front line in the war against Israel in 2006, and had to be called in immediately, three sources close to the Lebanese group said.
“We woke up to war,” said a Hezbollah commander.
The ongoing crisis marks the first time the so-called Axis of Resistance – a military alliance built by Iran over four decades to counter Israeli and American power in the Middle East – has mobilized on multiple fronts at the same time.
Hezbollah has been involved in the heaviest clashes with Israel for nearly 20 years. Iran-backed militias have targeted US troops in Iraq and Syria. Yemen’s Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel.
The conflict is also testing the limits of a regional coalition whose members – including the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen – have different domestic priorities and challenges.