In a recent development, senior members of both Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran-backed militant groups, have claimed that Iranian security officials played a pivotal role in planning and authorizing Hamas' surprise attack on Israel.
According to these sources, the Wall Street Journal reports, officers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) collaborated closely with Hamas for several months, beginning in August, to strategize and coordinate air, land, and sea incursions into Israeli territory — a significant breach not witnessed since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
These alleged details emerged from meetings held in Beirut, where IRGC officers reportedly met with representatives of four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
Hamas currently holds power in Gaza, while Hezbollah is a prominent Shiite militant group and political faction in Lebanon.
The U.S. officials have yet to find concrete evidence supporting these claims of Iranian involvement. In a recent interview with CNN, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: "We have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a long relationship."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
