Israeli Army Spokesperson: The Islamic Republic Operates Against Israel on Four Separate Fronts

On Monday, April 6, the spokesperson for the Israeli army identified the Iranian government as "Israel's main enemy" and stated, "The Islamic Republic operates against Israel on four separate fronts." Daniel Hagari, in a press conference responding to a question from Newsweek, said, "The Iranian government has modernly occupied Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria and exploits these countries for warfare not only against Israel but also against Sunni countries and innocent civilians in the West." He referred to Palestinian groups and Islamist militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen as "members of the Islamic Republic's destructive campaign" and emphasized that "Iranian regime officials have repeatedly denied commanding or controlling the so-called resistance militias, but they always praise their actions, especially since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, and emphasize their comprehensive support for these groups." The Israeli army spokesperson added, "The Iranian government provides Hezbollah, the Houthis, and its militias in Iraq and Syria with information and weapons to create terror in the region, and in return for this insecurity, they receive cash from the Islamic Republic." Daniel Hagari further described Israel after October 7 as "a different country with a different army" and stated, "At the end of this war, we must ensure that Israel's borders are secure and Hezbollah is pushed back." Following the October 7 attack by the terrorist group Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the massacre of over 1,200 men and women, mostly civilians, and Israel's legitimate self-defense actions, Iran-affiliated Islamist groups intensified their attacks against American and Israeli positions in the region. In one attack by Iran-affiliated groups on an American soldiers' base in Jordan, three American soldiers were killed and several others were injured. With the U.S. military's response to these attacks in Iraq and Syria, the attacks by these groups ceased; however, the Houthis in Yemen, another Iran-supported group in the region, continue to attack commercial ships and warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden even after five months. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in one of his speeches, "We support and assist the resistance groups as much as possible and praise their work, but they are the ones who decide and act, and they are right in this movement." In this context, the state-run news agency ISNA announced late on Monday that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian group Hamas, will travel to Tehran on Tuesday, April 7, to meet and "consult" with senior Iranian officials, including Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. This senior Hamas official, in a televised speech on February 28, called on Iran's proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite forces in Iraq and Syria to increase their attacks on what he referred to as the "enemy" interests. The Israeli army spokesperson stated: "The Islamic Republic is responsible for increasing tensions in the region." Shin Bet: Iran's plan to smuggle weapons to the West Bank has been thwarted. The Israeli army claims that 358 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been arrested at Shifa Hospital. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that the Iranian government is the main supplier of weapons, information, and technology to the Houthis. Netanyahu: There should be international pressure on Hamas and the Iranian government, not Israel. The Houthis confirmed a meeting with Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Beirut.