According to United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, there is no evidence indicating direct Iranian involvement in the recent devastating attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel. Earlier reports suggested that Iran had assisted Hamas in planning the rocket attack on Israel and had endorsed the assault during a meeting in Beirut the previous week, as detailed in The Wall Street Journal. Austin acknowledged that Tehran has been supporting Hamas, which has been conducting coordinated ground, air, and sea assaults from Gaza for years.
US Find Out No Evidence Against Iran
However, he clarified, “But in this specific instance, we don’t have any evidence of direct involvement in the planning or execution of this attack.” The US State Department echoed this assessment, emphasizing the potential for change. Spokesman Matthew Miller stated, “Our experience in these matters indicates that it’s premature to draw final conclusions. We’ll be examining additional intelligence in the coming weeks and days to refine our understanding, including assessing if individuals within the Iranian system had advanced knowledge or contributed to aspects of the planning.”
Austin reported that Israel has successfully stabilized the situation, particularly in resecuring the southern region breached by Hamas during the initial attack. He emphasized, “My focus is to ensure that we do everything possible, as quickly as possible, to support Israel in defending its sovereign territory.”
In response to the escalating conflict, the US has deployed an aircraft carrier and other warships to the eastern Mediterranean to deter further escalation. Additionally, the US is providing various forms of assistance, including intelligence sharing with Israel. Tehran has discredited accusations asserting its direct involvement in orchestrating the assault. Nasser Kanani, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, dismissed the claims, asserting that “The allegations of an Iranian role… are grounded in political motives.” The US intelligence community is currently examining its vast data resources and instructing national intelligence agencies to seek new evidence to assess whether Iran was directly involved in the Saturday attack on Israel by Hamas. This information was shared by a senior official within the Biden administration on Tuesday.
On October 10, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s top authority, explicitly stated that Tehran played no part in the weekend attack on Israel carried out by the Hamas group. Despite this denial, he expressed satisfaction with what he described as Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence defeat. During his initial televised speech since the attack, Khamenei remarked, “we commend those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime.” Following the assault on Israel, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran affirmed that his country “backs the lawful defense of the Palestinian nation.” This statement came after discussions with leaders of Palestinian militant groups.