British Iranian journalist and political analyst
The Iranian regime organized celebrations of what it called “the Palestinian victory” in Hamas’ ‘Al-Aqsa Storm Operation’ in Iranian cities Saturday evening.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanani described Hamas’ attack as ‘a turning point and a new chapter in the continuing resistance and armed operations” against Israel and said these operations demonstrated that “the Palestinian resistance is confidently capable of conducting hybrid and multilateral operations against the occupiers”.
Videos posted on social media show a crowd of pro-regime men and women on Saturday evening waving flags of the Islamic Republic and Palestine and celebrating with fireworks and music at Palestine Square in central Tehran where the Palestinian “embassy” is located.
In one of the videos posted by the official news agency IRNA on X, the speaker is heard delivering a speech in Arabic and then chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
A new mural banner was erected at Tehran’s Palestine Square today that mentions the Al-Aqsa Storm Operations. Similar banners have been put up on the streets in other locations. Some Iranians mentioned on social media that this act betrays the regime’s foreknowledge of the terror attack against Israel.
Several other officials including Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former IRGC commander who has served as one of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s top military advisors, and Khamenei’s former foreign policy advisor Ali-Akbar Velayati have also hailed Hamas’ unprecedented surprise attack, the most serious in a generation.
Safavi said Iran will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Quds and urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take practical measures against Israel for crimes against Palestinian children.
The Hamas attacks and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes have so far left at least 150 Israeli’s and nearly 200 people in the Gaza strip dead. Hamas has also taken dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage during its widespread operation against Israel. Israel has now cut off electricity supply to Gaza.
Iranian lawmakers chanted “Death to Israel” and "Palestine Will Be Victorious, Israel Will Be Destroyed" during a session at the parliament today to demonstrate their support for the Hamas operations.
In a speech Tuesday, Khamenei slammed countries seeking to normalize relations with Israel. "The position of the Islamic Republic is that countries that make the gamble of normalization with Israel will lose. They are betting on a losing horse,” he said apparently referring to Saudi Arabia’s plans to normalize its relations with Tel Aviv with the help of the United States.
Iran hosted an Islamic Unity Conference last week in which Hamas representatives also took part.
Hundreds of Iranians opposing the regime expressed outrage at the attack, which was mostly targeting civilians and reminded the world to adopt a tough stance against the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to Iran International TV, California-based political analyst Reza Goharzad said such an attack should have been expected given the recent statements by Iranian officials and the possibility of the Islamic Republic urging its allies to initiate such an attack on Israel.
Hossein Aryan, a military analyst in London, however, argued on Iran International TV that Israel will obviously retaliate and defeat Hamas with many casualties as it has always done but Hamas is seeking a “psychological victory” despite the cost.
Reza Talebi, journalist in Berlin, also told Iran International TV that Saturday’s Hamas attack may negatively affect Saudi Arabia’s plans to normalize relations with Israel to which the Islamic Republic has expressed strong opposition.
