Was Iran involved in the October 7 surprise attack on Israel by Hamas? Some say yes; others – including the Biden administration – say no. In truth, it may not matter anymore – if, indeed, it ever did. America has promised to back Israel, no matter what. Israel vowed to destroy Hamas. And now Iran threatens war with Israel unless the invasion of Gaza is called off. The leaders of all three nations have made bold and absolute statements of intent, guarantees of action. But bold statements, easy as they are to utter, can come at a price. Unless someone backs off, we’re on the road to war.
Is Iran Calling Biden’s Bluff?
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) stands ready at the border and could invade Gaza at any moment – and Iran has threatened a multi-front war should they do so. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reportedly told Tor Wennesland, the UN’s envoy to the Middle East, that while Iran doesn’t want the fight between Israel and Hamas to spread throughout the region, it would be forced to step in and defend Gaza if the IDF launches its ground assault.
It has been said that the surprise attack and the war thus far have cost more Jewish lives than any other single conflict since the Holocaust. It led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a total war on Hamas, vowing to not stop until the terrorist organization was destroyed entirely. It took several days, but President Biden and key officials from his administration offered America’s full support and promised to stand by Israel – even going so far as to warn other “state and non-state” actors not to get involved.
America has already sent shipments of weapons to Israel, but that isn’t all. An aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel last week, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Saturday that a second strike group, led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was en route as well. The Air Force is sending A-10 Thunderbolt II jets to the region as well to “support the U.S.’ increased posture” in the area, according to a statement from US Central Command.
Still, Iran threatens to join the war against Israel – implying that Hezbollah in Lebanon would as well. Are they trying to call Biden’s bluff, or are they really okay with America joining the war?
If Iran hoped the US would stand down, it seems they’re going to be disappointed. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) both spoke in Tel Aviv Sunday about the bipartisan support in the fight against Hamas. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explicitly warned Iran to stay out of the fight on Sunday. “Here’s my message,” he said. “If Hezbollah, which is a proxy of Iran, launches a massive attack on Israel, I would consider that a threat to the – to the state of Israel, existential in nature. I will introduce a resolution in the United States Senate to allow military action by the United States in conjunction with Israel to knock Iran out of the oil business. Iran, if you escalate this war, we’re coming for you.”
Surprised or Not, Iran Is Complicit
Many have questioned Iran’s involvement in the Saturday, October 7 attack. The Biden administration said last week that they didn’t see any “specific evidence that tells us they were wittingly involved in planning or involved in the resourcing and the training that went into this very complex set of attacks.” Maybe they weren’t – but then again, perhaps they were.
As Liberty Nation National Security Correspondent Dave Patterson pointed out last week, Hamas doesn’t have the vast industrial weapons complex required to produce the thousands of rockets used in that one attack – never mind all the munitions fired into Israel before and after. How did the terrorist group acquire such ordinance? As Patterson explained, Iran has been providing Hamas with weapons, training, and other support for years.
Indeed, it’s no secret that Iran has supported both Hamas and Hezbollah all along – the nation is often called the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism for good reason. Even if that one attack did take Iran by surprise, that doesn’t mean they aren’t complicit.
Of course Iran doesn’t want Israel to wipe out Hamas. The ability to support attacks against an enemy through a pair of proxy groups that can shoulder the blame is a sweet gig for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The question is whether Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian’s words will be supported in action once the IDF assault begins in full force. The Biden administration has gone too far to back down now without looking feeble and weak – and with bipartisan support for a full defense of Israel in Congress, even that may not be an option.
No one wants to appear weak and wishy-washy when their allies are threatened – not Iran, and not the US. But Hamas kicked the hornet nest when it began this war, and Israel’s response is as natural as the hornet’s. Just how steep a price the US and Iran are willing to pay for their bold statements will undoubtedly be revealed when the bill comes due.
