No country stood to gain more from Hamas’s October attack on Israel and international anger at Israel’s response than Iran. Iran is urging Arab countries that had established diplomatic ties with Israel to renounce them, but none has. If that happens and the situation in the Strip is stabilized, Iran may emerge with eroded influence on Israel’s border. “If the U.S. and Israel play their cards right, however, Iran will lose in the long run," he said. Three days after the Hamas attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Hamas for inflicting “irreparable damage" on Israel, although he insists that Iran didn’t play a role in it.

Source: Wall Street Journal December 15, 2023 11:06 UTC