Exclusive Wall Street Journal Report: Hamas's Surprise Attack Was Greenlit by the Islamic Republic

The Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive article that, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, Iranian security officials assisted in planning Hamas's surprise attack on Israel. According to the report, officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been working with Hamas since August to design air, land, and sea assaults. They stated that the details of this operation were refined during several meetings in Beirut, attended by IRGC officers and representatives from four Iran-backed militant groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The United States government has not yet seen evidence of direct Iranian involvement in this attack, but Israeli officials and some European officials believe that the Islamic Republic played a significant role in the design and execution of this attack. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, praised these attacks in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), stating: 'The Zionist regime will be uprooted by the Palestinian people and resistance forces across the region.' Israel has blamed Iran for the attacks, stating that it is behind them, even if indirectly. Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, said: 'Iranian representatives in our region have tried to coordinate as much as possible with Iran.' This attack increases the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Senior Israeli security officials have vowed to strike Iran if Tehran is found responsible for killing Israelis. The Islamic Republic fundamentally will not accept the nature of Israel, as Palestine is considered an integral part of the ideology of this regime. European officials' support for Israel and condemnation of celebrations by some of their citizens coinciding with Hamas's terrorist attacks. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that Hamas's actions worsen the situation for Palestinians. Jamshid Asadi noted that the war between Hamas and Israel will worsen Iran's economic situation. U.S. officials reacted to the war in Israel, with lawmakers supporting Israel's right to defend itself. Live blog: G7 foreign ministers welcomed the cessation of hostilities; all hostages should be released unconditionally. Citizens from several European countries are among the dead and missing; Nakhalah stated: 'We have thirty Israeli hostages.' Strong support from U.S. leaders, European countries, and Ukraine for Israel's right to self-defense. Biden told Netanyahu: 'More aid for the Israeli army is on the way.'