Ali Khamenei Calls Hamas Attacks a 'Epic' and Praises Their Designers

Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, today, Tuesday, at a ceremony at Imam Ali Military University in Tehran, referred to the terrorist attacks by Hamas militants in Israel as 'this issue of October 7' and stated that Israel has suffered 'an irreparable defeat both militarily and in intelligence.' Khamenei, discussing the role of the Islamic Republic in these terrorist attacks, said, 'We kiss the forehead and arm of the wise and intelligent designers and young Palestinians, but those who say the recent epic was the work of non-Palestinians are mistaken.' While Khamenei denied involvement in this action, his account on the first day of the terrorist operation by the Iran-backed militants in Israel stated, 'We said we would come for you.' On the first day of the war, praising Hamas's attacks, he wrote on X, 'The Zionist regime will be uprooted by the Palestinian people and resistance forces throughout the region.' On Saturday, Hamas, the Iran-backed militant group, carried out terrorist attacks on Israeli soil, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. In response to these attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas. In the past three days, hundreds of locations in the Gaza Strip, which Israel claims are related to Hamas, have been bombed. Senior officials of the Islamic Republic have explicitly welcomed Hamas's terrorist attacks in the past three days, referring to it as a 'victory.' In his speech today, Khamenei accused 'the media of the world of imperialism' of aiding Israel's 'victimhood policy' and stated, 'This victimhood is 100% false and a lie. Because Palestinian fighters were able to free themselves from the siege of Gaza and reach military and civilian centers of the Zionists.' Khamenei's claim comes as two days ago, the Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive that according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas's surprise attack on Israel. According to this report, officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been working with Hamas since August to design aerial, ground, and naval assaults. Khamenei's claim about the 'lies' of the published images comes as in recent days, following the terrorist attacks by Hamas militants in Israel, the group released images showing civilians taken hostage and in many cases their bloody bodies displayed as 'victories.' These images have provoked widespread reactions. In one instance, Hamas-affiliated militants collectively killed over 200 citizens from various countries who were attending a music festival in southern Israel. Other images released in recent days show Hamas militants humiliating hostages in front of the camera. Yesterday, a Hamas official also announced that if missile attacks on Gaza continue, they would execute the hostages. Hossein Aghaei: The game in the Middle East has changed; Israel has no choice but to destroy Hamas. Reports from two American media outlets indicate evidence of the Islamic Republic's involvement in Hamas's attacks; the U.S. government says we have no evidence. The White House: The deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the region sends a clear message to opportunists.