Iranian Security officials helped Hamas orchestrate the weekend attack on
Israel and officially approved of the assault during a meeting in Beirut last
Monday, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Citing senior Hamas and Hezbollah members, the outlet reports Officers of
Iran�s Islamic Revolutionary Guard have worked with Hamas to plan the air,
land, and sea attack since August. The attack on Israel was one of the most
deadly breaches of its borders in decades.

Hundreds of civilians and soldiers were taken hostage as Hamas bombarded
villages and towns near Gaza. Hamas is a militant group that holds control in
Gaza while Hezbollah is a political faction backed by Iran in Lebanon.

The report contradicts a statement made earlier this weekend by Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken who claimed the U.S. has �not yet seen evidence that
Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there is certainly a
long relationship.�

The meeting in Beirut where the specifics of the assault were planned was
attended by IRGC officers as well as four representatives of other Iranian
backed militant organizations.

Per WSJ:

A European official and an adviser to the Syrian government, however,
gave the same account of Iran�s involvement in the lead-up to the attack
as the senior Hamas and Hezbollah members.

Asked about the meetings, Mahmoud Mirdawi, a senior Hamas official,
said the group planned the attacks on its own. �This is a Palestinian
and Hamas decision,� he said.

Hours after the attack occurred, President Joe Biden addressed the nation in
a televised broadcast calling the assault �appalling� and vowing to standby
Israel.

One of the essential goals of the Saturday strike was to disrupt peaceful
relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to senior Hamas and
Hezbollah members who claim Iran believes that relationship is threatening.

UPDATE:

Axios foreign policy reporter Barak Ravid encouraged his followers on X to be
skeptical of the reporting by the WSJ, claiming �Just because someone in
Hamas said something to the Wall Street Journal doesn�t mean it�s true. I
recommend being a bit reserved when reporting this and not presenting things
as fact. At least as long as it doesn�t have verification from somewhere
else. Everyone I asked in the last two days told me that direct Iranian
involvement in the events is unknown.�

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Let's go Brandon!