Iranian officials and state media refuted Western reports that Iran will not “directly” enter the Israel-Hamas war, likely to reassure other Axis of Resistance members of Iran's continued support for them. Reuters reported on November 15 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh that Iran will not “intervene directly” in the war during their meeting in Tehran on November 5.[55] Khamenei also pressured Haniyeh to silence Hamas members calling for Iran and LH to fully join the war against Israel.
Iranian state media, including outlets affiliated with the IRGC, denied the Reuters claim. Ebrahim Raisi administration-run outlet IRNA conducted an interview with Hamas senior representative to Lebanon Osama Hamdan, who described Reuters’ claims as “pure lies and slander.”[56] IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency similarly called the Reuters report “fake news.”[57]
IRGC Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani sent a public letter to Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, emphasizing Iranian support for Hamas and that Iran would do “whatever it must do in this historical battle.”[58] Iranian state media widely circulated the letter.[59] Iran has extensively coordinated with its proxies and partner militias in the Axis of Resistance since the Israel-Hamas war began. Iran has additionally facilitated the expansion of the war to Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria by directing and encouraging its proxy and partner militias in these countries to attack US and Israeli targets throughout the region. Khamenei’s statement that Iran will not “directly” enter the war and Ghaani’s vow to provide continued support to the Axis of Resistance are therefore not contradictory since Iran is already directly involved in the war through the Axis of Resistance.
Iran is exploiting the Western media framing that Iran is not already involved in the war, which is unintentionally obfuscating the role Iran is already playing. This framing ignores the fact that Iran has extensively armed, financed, and coordinated with the various members of the Axis of Resistance that are now attacking US and Israeli targets across the Middle East. Iran considers itself to be both part of the Axis of Resistance and its leader. Ghaani committing the continued support of the Axis of Resistance to Hamas implies continued Iranian support. CTP-ISW has furthermore recorded extensively how Iran has led and cooperated with the Axis of Resistance in recent weeks to threaten the United States and Israel and preserve Hamas.
full report https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-november-16-2023
Iran Update, November 17, 2023
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s official website refuted Western reports that Iran will not “directly” enter the Israel-Hamas war, likely to reassure Axis of Resistance members of Khamenei’s continued support for them. Reuters reported on November 15 that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh that Iran will not “intervene directly” in the war during their meeting in Tehran on November 5.[49] Khamenei also pressured Haniyeh to silence Hamas members calling for Iran and LH to fully join the war against Israel.
The Line of Hezbollah—a newsletter published by Khamenei’s website—described the Reuters report as “completely false” in its November 17 publication.[50] The newsletter recirculated Khamenei’s October 10 statements that Iran defends Palestine and “kisses the foreheads and arms of the resourceful and intelligent designers [of the Al Aqsa Flood Operation].”[51]
Khamenei’s website also published on November 17 an interview with former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini’s daughter Zahra Mostafavi, who praised Khamenei for “seriously and strongly” pursuing the Palestinian cause.[52] Khamenei’s website likely published this interview to emphasize Khamenei’s commitment to supporting Hamas and the Axis of Resistance. Khamenei’s website may additionally have specifically interviewed Mostafavi given that her father, who was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, institutionalized the regime’s staunch pro-Palestine, anti-Israel stance.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-november-17-2023