According to sources from Reuters, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated during a meeting with Hamas representatives in Tehran in early November that Iran has no plans to engage in a war with Israel. The news agency reports that the Ayatollah conveyed the following message to the group: “You did not inform us about the attack on Israel on October 7, and we will not go to war on your behalf.”
Iranian officials and Hamas representatives, who spoke to Reuters, confirmed that Tehran does not intend to directly intervene in the conflict but will continue to support the movement.
The same applies to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is also supported by Iran. An agency source told Reuters that Hezbollah was caught off guard and not informed about Hamas’ actions.
The Ayatollah also told Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to cease public calls for Iran and Hezbollah to join the war. One of the commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), Mohammed al-Deif, had made similar calls.
However, Iran does not oppose strikes against Israel and the United States in the Middle East by the groups it supports, such as Hezbollah.
The situation in the Middle East escalated after thousands of Hamas militants infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7. More than two hundred hostages were taken.
On this day, Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israeli territory and announced the start of the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was in a state of war.
The Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah expressed support for Hamas. Rocket attacks on Israel and Lebanon began from both sides. On the day of October 19, the Israeli army stated that border areas of the country had come under attack from Lebanese territory. According to the IDF, several anti-tank missiles were fired towards the kibbutz of Manara.
The Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah is believed to have the capability to neutralize Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system in the event of a conflict in the Middle East, according to experts cited by Bloomberg.
Earlier in Iran, regular patrols were organized to monitor the wearing of the hijab.
