Iran's Political And Military Leadership Encourages Hamas To Continue Fighting Until It Achieves The Iran-Hamas Resistance's Objective – The Destruction Of Israel

Iranian regime officials, headed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with the commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Armed Forces and regime mouthpieces, hastened to congratulate the "Palestinian resistance organization" Hamas – which belongs to Iran's Islamic resistance axis – for its massive October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, as well as to express pride in the organization and exhort it to continue.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi (R) shakes hands with the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, Ismail Hanieh, in the capital Tehran, on June 20, 2023. (Photo by IRNA)

Regime spokesmen said that "the courageous deeds of the Palestinians" in what Hamas is calling Operation "Al-Aqsa Flood" are justified because of Israel's "cruel crimes" against the Palestinians since its establishment. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressed that "this cruel regime [Israel] took no pity on the Palestinian men and women, children or the elderly; it did not protect the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa mosque; it inflamed the [Jewish] settlers against the Palestinians like raging dogs; and it trampled the [Muslim] worshipers under its feet. Therefore, what must a nation do against all this cruelty and all these crimes?" Noting that Israel is "an oppressor [and] an aggressor", he added that "no one can present this monster [Israel] as oppressed." He went on to call on the Muslim countries to join with Hamas and Iran in continuing on the path of resistance.

Celebrating the massacre and the victory of the Islamic resistance via the Palestinians, Iranian officials rejoiced in how it surprised Israel and humiliated its army and political leadership, justified the scope of the destruction, and predicted that the aim of Iran's revolutionary regime – the destruction of Israel – was near at hand.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi published a transcript of his conversations with the leaders of the Palestinian resistance – Hamas political bureau head Isma'il Haniya and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad Nakhalah – who are emissaries of the Iranian regime. In the conversations with both, he praised them for their strategic victory over Israel.  

This report will review statements by Iranian officials and Palestinian resistance officials praising the Hamas attack on Israel and encouraging Hamas to continue its campaign until the destruction of Israel is achieved.

Supreme Leader Khamenei: "The Palestinians' Courageous Act And Martyrdom Were A Response To The Crimes Of The [Israeli] Enemy That Have Gone On For Years"

At the conclusion of an October 10, 2023 ceremony of armed forces officers, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated: "In these days, an important political and military issue has attracted the world's attention, and it is the unprecedented events in dear Palestine... To our great joy, senior [regime] officials have taken correct and positive positions [in this matter]. I would like to point out a few things to you and to our brothers in the Islamic states:

"The first point is the same issue that arises in various analyses in the past two or three days is that since October 7, 2023, the plundering Zionist regime has suffered an irreversible military and intelligence failure. Everyone is referring to 'failure.' My emphasis is on the 'irreversible.' I say that this destructive earthquake has succeeded in destroying the regime of the plundering regime from its main foundations, and it is not so easily rebuilt. It is not reasonable for the plundering Zionist regime to manage to rehabilitate the same foundations, despite all the noise it is making and all the support it is getting today from the West. I want to say that since Saturday of October 7, 2023, the Zionist regime is no longer the Zionist regime it was, and it is not possible to easily compensate for the blow it has received.

"The second point, which in my view is very important, is that this disaster was caused by the deeds of the Zionists themselves. When cruelty and crime cross the boundary, one must wait for the storm. What have you done to the Palestinian people? The Palestinians' courageous acts and  martyrdom were a response to the crimes of the [Israeli] enemy that have gone on for years, that escalated in intensity in recent months. The current government of the Zionist regime is to blame. In the history of the world... no Islamic nation has dealt with an enemy like the one with whom the Palestinians are dealing today. The Islamic nations and countries have never dealt with such an enemy, so audacious and so cruel. 

Supreme Leader Khamenei (Source: Tasnim, Iran, October 8, 2023)

"Nations have been oppressed many times, but their enemies have never been so shameless, so evil, so cruel. No Muslim nation has been subject to pressure and siege like the Palestinian nation; we know none like it in the world or in these moments that are before our eyes. The Western governments, particularly America and Britain, never supported or helped any government like they support this false, cruel, and bloodthirsty [Israeli] one. First the British, then the Americans, and together with them various governments... [Even] the former Soviet Union, and others – everyone helped this cruel regime.

"The behavior of this cruel regime was such that it took no pity on the Palestinian men and women, children or the elderly; it did not protect the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque; it inflamed the [Jewish] settlers against the Palestinians like raging dogs; it trampled the [Muslim] worshipers under its feet. Therefore, what must a nation do against all this cruelty and all these crimes? A zealous nation, a veteran nation – the Palestinian nation – is not a nation of today or of yesterday. It is a nation of several thousands of years. How should it react to all this oppression? Well, it is obvious that a storm will take place. [The Palestinian nation] will find an opportunity and will bring about a storm. Oh oppressing Zionists! You are to blame. You caused this storm. You brought this disaster upon yourselves. The [Islamic] nation has no choice but to respond zealously and courageously to such hostility.

"The third point is that now, this evil, cruel enemy has begun a policy of presenting itself as oppressed, after it took a slap. Others help it, too. The media of the global arrogance [the U.S.] are helping it present itself as oppressed. Of course, this is also a miscalculation, that I will explain further on. This display is 100% false, because the Palestinian fighters have managed to exit the Gaza siege, to rid themselves of it, to reach the Zionists' military and civilian centers – is [the Zionist regime] the oppressed? Whatever this plundering regime is, it is not oppressed. It is an oppressor. It is an aggressor. It is ignorant, a bully. It is all these, but it is not oppressed. It is an oppressor. No one can present this monster as oppressed.

"The fourth point is that the occupying regime [Israel] works to present itself as oppressed as an excuse so as to continue its twofold oppression. Attacking Gaza, attacking people's homes, attacking civilians, mass slaughter and killing in Gaza – presenting itself as oppressed is a pretext for carrying out more and more of these crimes. It wants to justify its crimes by presenting itself as oppressed.

"I have said that this too is a miscalculation. The heads and decisionmakers of this plundering regime and its supporters must know that this [support for Israel] will bring them even greater disaster. They must know that the response to these atrocities will lead to a heavier slap on their ugly face. The determination of the courageous Palestinian youth, the determination of the Palestinians who are willing to sacrifice their lives, is stronger than these crimes. That is how it is today.

"The era is past when elements [from various countries] would come to manage to create for themselves a situation in Palestine through meetings and dialogue with the oppressor [the Zionist regime]. Today, the Palestinians have awakened; the [Palestinian] youth have awakened, the Palestinian planners are working with all skillfulness. Therefore, this calculation by the enemy is mistaken; it thinks that (it must) present itself as oppressed so as to continue its criminal attacks. Of course, the Islamic world should not remain silent in the face of these crimes. The [Muslim] countries must respond. 

"The last point is that supporters of the [Zionist] regime, and some members of this plundering regime, have spoken brutally in the past two or three days, and this is continuing, including [claiming] that Islamic Iran is behind this move [the Hamas attack]. They are wrong. Of course, we defend Palestine, we defend the struggles, we kiss the foreheads and arms of the planners [of this operation] and [the arms of] the brave, resourceful Palestinian youth. We are proud of them.

"Those who say that 'the Palestinian operations were carried out by non-Palestinians' [i.e. Iranians] do not know the Palestinian nation. They have belittled the Palestinian nation. This is their mistake. Of course, the entire Islamic world has a duty to support the Palestinians. This operation is the work of the Palestinians themselves. The wise, young, and bold planners and the operatives who martyred themselves have managed to create an epic, and this epic will, God willing, be a big step towards saving Palestine."[1]

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei On X: "The Cancer Of The Usurper Zionist Regime Will Be Eradicated At The Hands Of The Palestinian People And The Resistance Forces Throughout The Region"

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on X (formerly Twitter) on October 7, 2023, praised the Palestinian resistance for its murder of Israelis. He posted a video of young Israelis fleeing from Hamas's attack on the Nova outdoor concert, during which over 200 Israeli civilians were butchered by Hamas commando forces, and wrote: "God willing, the cancer of the usurper Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region. #AlAqsaStorm."

X users added the following context: "The people seen fleeing in this video are not members of the 'regime' but rather concert-goe[r]s whose festivities Hamas disrupted, using force and taking hostages," adding links to news reports on the events.

 
Twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1710752170096701778, October 7, 2023.

Khamenei On X: "Today, The Palestinian Youth... Is More Prepared Than It Has Ever Been" To Destroy Israel

In another post the same day, October 7, Khamenei shared a photo of Palestinians celebrating as they rode on a captured Israel Defense Forces vehicle, and wrote: "Today, the Palestinian youth and the Palestinian movement is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than it has ever been during the last 80 years [to destroy Israel]. #AlAqsaStorm."

Twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1710746549779571010

Iranian President Raisi: "The Sun Of Divine Victory Has Risen Again From Palestine, And Gladdened The Hearts Of The [Muslim] Believers, [And] Made The Seekers Of Freedom In The World Proud... The Zionist Enemy Must Know That The Equation Has Changed"

On October 8, 2023, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi published a statement praising the Palestinian resistance operation. Justifying Hamas's massacre of Israeli civilians as the Muslim uprising against Israel's years-long oppression, harm to Palestinian women and prisoners, and desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he said that Iran defends the massacre because "honor is deeply rooted in belief, in [Iran's Islamic] resistance, and in [Muslim] unity." He also called on the Muslim countries to support Iran's Islamic resistance. The following are the main points of his statement:

"Ultimately, the sigh of the oppressed nation became a storm against the oppressors. The sun of divine victory has risen again from Palestine, and gladdened the hearts of the [Muslim] believers, [and] made the seekers of freedom in the world proud, and humiliated the oppressors. Peace and the blessings of God and all the righteous free servants of the enduring and wise Palestinian people, which has shocked and surprised the world of oppression with an historic move.

"Blessings to the resistance and all its brave members who threw off the delusion of life in the shadow of the captivity of the aggressive Zionist regime, and to the initiative of the resistance, which showed that a will of steel deeply rooted in belief in God and in reliance on its people overcomes [Israel's] equipment and weapons.

"Iran invites the entire world to gaze upon the fact that the accumulated oppression and injustice against the oppressed Palestinian nation, the continued insults against women and prisoners, and the desecration of Jerusalem and the first qibla [direction of prayer – i.e. Al-Aqsa Mosque] for the Muslims will not continue forever, and the nations will oppose it. Without a doubt, the Zionist regime and its supporters who are responsible for the endangering of the security of the nations in the region must be held accountable.

"The Islamic Republic [of Iran] defends the [right of] legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation, and vehemently believes, as God says in the Quran: Honor is deeply rooted in belief, in resistance, and in unity. It is not possible to achieve honor for the peoples while coming to terms with oppression, nor to present oppression of the Palestinian nation as normal. 

"The Muslim governments must sincerely join the Islamic nation in supporting the Palestinian people. The Zionist enemy must know that the equation has changed, the beat of war is not to the Zionists' benefit. The Palestinian nation is the victor in the [battle] arena.

"Blessings to the resistance, from Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Blessings to the heroic and steadfast Gaza. Blessings to Hamas and [the Palestinian Islamic] Jihad and all the resistance groups; peace to the brave and zealous Palestinian youth. Blessings to the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini [the founder of the Islamic Revolution] and the Imam Khamenei [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] who guided and supported the nations through resistance, and blessings to the martyrs of the resistance and the dear martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani [IRGC Qods Force Commander who was killed by the U.S. in January 2020]."[2] [3]

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (Source: Tasnim, Iran, October 8, 2023)

Raisi In Phone Call With Hamas Political Bureau Head Isma'il Haniya: "The Palestinian Fighters' Victorious Campaign In The Occupied Territories Actualizes What [We] Have Been Anticipating For 70 Years"

In a phone call with Hamas political bureau head Isma'il Haniya, Raisi expressed his hope to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem alongside the leaders of the resistance. He said: "The iron will of the Palestinian people and the fighters who follow the path of God ensures the Palestinians' ultimate victory over the usurping Zionist regime. The events of the Palestinian fighters' victorious campaign in the occupied territories actualizes what the Palestinian and Islamic nations have been anticipating for 70 years, and, with God's help, we will soon pray together in Al-Aqsa."

Haniya thanked Iran, on behalf of the Palestinian nation and fighters, for its support of the Palestinian resistance, saying: "The Zionist enemy's aggression and offenses against Al-Aqsa and the [Muslim] worshipers [there] were one of the main reasons for this operation. With this battle the Palestinian fighters managed to unbalance the Zionist regime through the element of surprise, [staging] a large-scale operation despite the shortage in gear and facilities [compared to] the Zionist army.

"The achievements on the battlefield were made thanks to God's blessing and the support of the Islamic nation, headed by Iran, and [the campaign] will culminate in the final victory of the Palestinian nation."[4]

Iranian President Raisi In Phone Call With PIJ Leader Nakhalah: "You Have Truly Gladdened The Islamic Ummah With This Innovative And Victorious Operation... The Zionist Regime Is Waning And The Resistance Front Is Conquering The Peaks Of Victory"

In an October 8 phone call with PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad Nakhalah, Raisi extended "the blessings of the Iranian government and people to the Palestinian nation" and welcomed "the brilliant and impressive victories of the Palestinian fighters and resistance forces." The following are the main points of Raisi's statements:

"The events in the occupied territories and in the battle against the plundering Zionist regime are mighty and unique in the past 70 years. You have truly gladdened the Islamic ummah with this innovative and victorious operation.

"The Zionist regime is waning and the resistance front is conquering the peaks of victory. We see a divine promise in the final victory of the Palestinian nation. The Iranian nation has always stood alongside the seekers of freedom and independence, led by the freedom-seeking Palestinian nation."

In response, Nakhala thanked "the Leader [Khamenei], the government, and the Iranian people for their support of the Palestinian people from the bottom of my heart," and added: "With God's help, these blessed days and victories will continue in force, and the Palestinian people remains steadfast on the path of the resistance.[5]

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami: "Today We Are Witnessing The Birth Of A New Palestine That Is Based On Greatness And Might... That Has Brought Fear And Terror To The Homes Of The Zionists"; "The Life Of The Zionist Regime Is Reaching Its End"

Speaking at the Second National Congress of 8,000 Martyrs of the Province of Hamedan on October 8, IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami praised the resistance for Hamas's surprise attack on Israel. He said that not even America and the West can save Israel, and called on the Muslim countries that seek normalization with Israel not to rely on it since it was so badly humiliated, nor on the West which is weak. Only Iran, the Islamic Revolution, and the resistance axis are strong and honorable, he said.

The following are the main points of his speech:

"For years, the Palestinians have been under the Zionist siege, and no one could cross the borders. But today, we are witnessing the birth of a new Palestine that is based on greatness and might.  This strong Palestine has brought fear and terror to the homes of the Zionists. Today, the Palestinians are humiliating the soldiers of the Zionist regime without any resistance on their part, and are honorably defending their lost rights. The new Israel is a weak, humiliated creature and no longer has anything to boast about. Once, whenever it wanted, it would bulldoze the homes of Palestinians at night, and would take them prisoner – but the life of the Zionist regime is reaching its end.

IRGC commander Salami (Fars, Iran, October 8, 2023)

"Today's event is a symbol of the end of Israel's aggression, killing, and occupation of the land. No one can save the Zionists – not even the Americans. [The Zionists'] lives are over even before the Americans arrive.

"No one can save the Zionists. America is a weak supporter, and Israel is weaker than it. The house of Israel is like a spiderweb. Anyone [i.e. the Muslim countries that seek to normalize with Israel] who wants to gamble on the 'losing horse' [Israel], as the Leader [Khamenei] pointed out, should today see the facts – that weak support should not be relied upon. Israel relied on America and Europe and thus it was humiliated.

"Palestine can build strength and might. The clash between honor and humiliation can be seen in this battle, and all these are [thanks to] the martyrs. Martyrdom is the secret of victory for the Muslims. Whether we want it or not, this is the great and final truth."[6]

Iranian Armed Forces Chief Of Staff Mohammed Bagheri: "In This Surprise Attack On The Military Positions Of The Zionist Regime, Launched From The Air, Sea, and Ground, The Palestinian Resistance Fighters Gave Center Stage To Glorious Scenes Of Resistance"; "The Palestinian Youth Will Soon Liberate Al-Aqsa"

In a statement he issued on October 8, 2023, Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri stated that the Hamas attack has transformed the Zionist leaders' worst nightmare – the collapse of their regime – into a reality, and that even normalization with the Muslim countries will not help this regime. The statement said:

"The proud coordinated operations – known as [Operation] Al-Aqsa Flood – carried out by the Palestinian military factions against the positions and fortifications of the Zionist regime in the occupied territories, have proven once again that the [claims of] this occupying regime's forces are hollow. In this surprise attack on the military positions of the Zionist regime, launched from the air, sea, and ground, the Palestinian resistance fighters gave center stage to glorious scenes of resistance and steadfastness, performed by a suffering and oppressed nation. This is a nation that, after several decades of oppression that have been imposed upon it, has attained strength that amazed military analysts and strategists all over the world, with the support of a motivated young generation that relies on Islam and believes in God's promise.

"If previously the intifada of the stones was the only [source of] power of the defenseless Palestinian nation, today the Palestinian fighters have attained such power and growth that they can deliver a terrible blow to the Zionist enemy by firing thousands of rockets and missiles in a complex and coordinated operation and make a laughingstock of the [Israeli] defense force and its Iron Dome [missile defense system].

"These defensive [Palestinian] weapons, along with the Palestinian youths' determination to attain martyrdom, creates enough force to deliver a slap in the face and topple the Zionist regime. The violent sweep of [Operation] Al-Aqsa Flood is the result of the holy rage that the Zionist enemy sowed in [the hearts of] the oppressed Palestinian people, and now it must reap [what it sowed].

"[Operation] Al-Aqsa Flood has transformed the Zionist leaders' worst nightmare – the collapse of their regime – into a reality. It proved that the various desperate efforts, such as the ridiculous charade of the normalization process, will not be able to slow down or delay the collapse of the spiders' web [that is Israel].

"I congratulate the Palestinian fighters for this proud victory, and I am confident that the young Palestinians will soon liberate Al-Aqsa from the captivity of the Zionist enemy. It is God's promise that the occupation will not endure and that the will of the Palestinian people shall defeat the oppressors. The message of the Quran, that 'morning is near,' has opened up a bright horizon for the [Palestinian] fighters."[7]

Iranian Armed Forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri (Source: ISNA, Iran, October 8, 2023)

Iranians Celebrate Hamas's Massacre And "Al-Aqsa Flood" In Israel – Videos And Photos

The following section will present some of the footage of celebrations in Iranian cities of the massacre carried out against Israelis by the Palestinian resistance organization Hamas, which is an Iranian proxy.

On October 7, Iran's Noor TV aired video of Iranians in the city of Qom celebrating the Hamas attack. The Iranians waved Palestinian, Hamas, and Hizbullah flags, and sang: "Khaybar Khaybar, oh Zion, the army of Muhammad is coming," "Inshallah, you will participate in the slaughter of the Jews... the Zionists," Hizbullah will soon land a powerful blow on the Zionists and the Saudis," and "Death to Israel! Death to America!"

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

The Iranian news agency ISNA reported, on October 7, on a celebration of the Palestinian resistance's victory held at Palestine Square in Tehran, and simultaneously in other Iranian cities. The participants expressed their support for the Iran-backed resistance axis, shouting slogans and waving signs commemorating IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani and other martyrs of the struggle against Israel. They also expressed their joy at the success of the Hamas attack by waving Palestinian and Hizbullah flags and the flags of other resistance groups in the region, and by burning Israeli flags. Students from Sharif University in Tehran also held celebrations.[8]

Below are photos from the celebrations published by ISNA: