An Iranian newspaper aligned with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel a grave mistake and strategic error that cost Iran dearly after previously praising the massacre.
“Contrary to many opinions and analyses, the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation was a mistake," an editorial published this week in Islamic Republic, a newspaper overseen by Khamenei’s representative, stated.
The piece noted that Hamas’s assault had severe negative repercussions for the regional standing of the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran, chief among them Syria’s drift away from Iranian influence. “Syria’s departure from the Axis of Resistance and its shift toward alignment with the United States and Israel is one of the most damaging developments of the past two years."
“This should be regarded as one of the negative outcomes of the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ operation," the article continued.
Recognizing the cost of the Israel-Hamas War
The remarks, published in a paper long considered a mouthpiece of the regime, mark an exceptionally unusual tone. Until now, both Khamenei himself and senior Iranian officials had repeatedly expressed full support for Hamas’s attack, calling it “the move that changed the balance of power against Israel.”
In this week’s editorial, however, Tehran’s messaging appears to have shifted dramatically: from celebrating “the victory of the resistance” to acknowledging the heavy regional costs of the war, particularly Damascus’s rapprochement with Washington and Jerusalem and the resulting strain on Iran’s pro-resistance bloc across the Middle East.