Introduction
After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire went into effect January 19, 2025, senior Iranian regime officials, headed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, praised the resistance of the Palestinian people for, as they depicted it, forcing Israel to submit to its demands and accept the ceasefire. Along with statements such as “the ultimate victory belongs to the Palestinian people,” regime spokesmen promised that the Iran-led resistance axis would be rebuilt and continue to fight to eradicate Israel and would also continue to herald the achievements of the aim of Iran’s Islamic Revolution – the imminent destruction of the State of Israel.
While Iran licks its wounds from the multi-arena struggle with Israel since the Hamas October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli communities in southern Israel – including the elimination of resistance axis leaders, even in Tehran itself; the damage done to the resistance organizations in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen; and the significant blow to the defense apparatus of Iran itself – Iranian regime officials echoed the narrative of the resistance’s triumph over Israel, and of Hamas’s forcing on Israel a ceasefire that was achieved by “maintaining the spirit of the resistance and national solidarity in Palestine.”[1] As Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated, “support from the other elements of the resistance [axis] forced the [Israeli] regime to agree to a ceasefire.”[2]
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the first international conference on “the Flood of Al-Aqsa and Gaza – Narratives and Realities,” held in Tehran in early February 2025, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the role of the media in shaping the narrative of victory on the battlefield and in diplomacy, saying, “We may succeed on the battlefield but not in the media, and the victories we achieve may be presented as defeats in the eyes of the world. Just as there is a diplomatic battle, there is also a media battle. The winner is the one who wins the battle of narratives. One can say with complete confidence that the [Zionist] regime has never been as isolated and vilified in the world as it is today.” He concluded, “Iran played its role in the victory of the resistance in the Gaza war. In the recent months, there has been no difference between the [diplomatic] arena and the battlefield. The media has been on our side, and we will continue on this path.”[3]
However, in light of the public criticism of the heavy price paid by Iran in the many arenas of the war, speakers have begun highlighting the claim that “the war was forced on the resistance axis.” Some argued that an Israel-U.S. plot for an attack on the resistance axis and Iran set for October 14, 2023 had been in the offing and that the October 7 operation was a preemptive strike that thwarted it. Some stated that the Israeli-Western plot was meant to be carried out by means of Zionist expansion “from the Euphrates to the Nile” or as part of a broadening of the Abraham Accords.
Expediency Council member Mohsen Rezaee, who is also secretary-general of the Coordination Council of the three branches of government and secretary of the Supreme Council for Economic Coordination, stated on January 21, 2025 that “the axis of resistance was merely defending itself” to explain the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war on seven fronts: “America, Britain, France, and the West stood behind Israel, completely supported it, and led it to force a war on the region and on the six countries – Palestine [i.e. Gaza and the West Bank], Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. The axis of resistance was [merely] defending itself.”
The apologetic explanation issued by the regime for the massive damage inflicted on Iran and its proxies came in light of public criticism, as Rezaee pointed out: “About the mistaken analysis by those who say that without the Al-Aqsa Flood [the Hamas October 7 attack and its aftermath] the attack on Gaza would not have happened either – [it should be noted that] a few years ago, a plan called the Abraham Accords was proposed, and part of this plan was an attack on Gaza and the resistance axis after the peace [between Israel and] Arab states [was achieved].
Additionally, on January 21, the regime mouthpiece Kayhan wrote: “According to America’s and Israel’s plan before the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood,’ they decided to clean out Gaza on October 14, and to launch the crimes they have carried out over the last 15 months in order to close the case of the Palestinian cause forever. Had the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ not happened, they would have probably achieved their goals – to destroy all the resistance in the region and in the Islamic countries.
The following are senior regime officials’ main reactions to the Gaza ceasefire:
I. The Resistance Axis’s Victory Narrative
Supreme Leader Khamenei: “The Palestinian Resistance Forced Israel To Withdraw”; “The Resistance Front Will Not Falter [In] The Least… Hamas Is Alive And Will Stay Alive”
On January 16, 2025, a few days before the ceasefire went into effect, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published a message praising the resistance that, he said, had forced the Zionist regime to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
“Today, the world understood that the suffering of the Gaza residents and the steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance forced the Zionist regime to withdraw. It will be written in books that one day a Zionist group killed thousands of women and children in the most loathsome of crimes and ultimately failed.”[4]
Days later, on January 20, 2025, Khamenei posted on his X account in Hebrew and English: “People of Gaza are standing like a mountain, and the Resistance Front will not falter [in] the least [even] with the martyrdom of eminent figures such as # YahyaSinwar. Hamas is alive and will stay alive.” The post included a video showing Hamas gunmen against the backdrop of the ruins of Gaza, photos of Sinwar, excerpts of footage from the Hamas invasion of kibbutzim and military bases in Israel on October 7, 2023, the January 19 transfer of three female Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, and the celebrations of the return of the Palestinian security prisoners released in the deal (view the video here).[5]
IRGC: “The Forcing Of A Ceasefire” On Israel Was A Great Failure For It – It “Sends The Strong Gaza Residents Back Home Joyful And Filled With Freshness, Vitality, And Resistance”
In a January 16, 2025 announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) praised the resistance for its steadfastness throughout 16 months of war and what it referred to as the surrender of the Zionist regime and its supporters. It called “the end of the war and the forcing of a ceasefire on Israel” a “clear and great victory for Palestine and a bigger failure for the monstrous Zionist regime that sends the strong Gaza residents back home joyful and filled with freshness, vitality, and resistance.”
The following are the main points of the announcement:
“We thank God that 16 months have passed since the astounding, historic, honorable, and eternal Al-Aqsa Flood operation [i.e. Hamas’s October 7 attack], and the cruel crimes and genocide carried out by the satanic Zionist regime. The sacred will of Hamas and the Islamic resistance against the Zionist regime and the murderers of the oppressed and defenseless Palestinian women, children, and men has become clear.
“Those who, with the full support of America and its allies in the West and the region, and with the support of the media empire of the oppressive [regime, the U.S.], aspired to achieve the declared goals of ‘the release of [the Israeli] prisoners without paying a price,’ destroying Hamas by means of military operations, and the return [to their homes of] the residents of northern [Israel], have now surrendered.[They have surrendered] to the unmatched patience and perseverance of the heroic people in Gaza, and to the steel will of the resistance, after 463 days of crimes that led to the killing of over 50,000 oppressed and defenseless people, the wounding of hundreds of thousands of additional residents of Gaza, and the destruction of over 80 percent of the vital infrastructure and housing in Gaza.
“The end of the war and the forcing of a ceasefire on the Zionist regime today are a clear and great victory for Palestine and an even greater defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime. The ceasefire sends the strong residents of Gaza home joyful and filled with freshness, vitality, and resistance, and at the same time prepares the bloodthirsty butcher in the false cabinet [of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] for a huge storm of criticism, protests, and internal rifts in the Zionist society.
“The heroic Hamas, trusting in God’s help and with the legendary persistence of the resistance of the strong and oppressed Gazans, and in a wave of global support, left the arena of the negotiations proud, and with its victory conveyed this message to the world: ‘The resistance of the Palestinian people is a clear symbol of the victory of the truth over the lie and the [Palestinian] blood over the [Israeli] sword.’
“Today, it is Tel Aviv and the plundering regime who kneel before the will of the Palestinian people and face the collapse of the[ir] military and social might, emigration, bankruptcy, and political isolation.
“There is no doubt that this clear conquest and the great victory, such as the Al-Aqsa Flood, which was a multifaceted and irreparable defeat for the Zionists, documented the fact in history that months of crimes gained no achievements for the Zionist regime and that the resistance remained alive and strong, with greater authority and with a more profound faith in God’s sincere promises. The resistance remains, and will move toward the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem with reliability, authority, and a more profound faith in God’s sincere promises.
“Through honoring the name, memory, and history-making epics of the fallen of the resistance and of the path to the liberation of Jerusalem during the recent battle – especially the martyrs Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nasrallah, Yahya Sinwar, and Saleh Al-Arouri – this great and huge event [i.e. the ceasefire] is dedicated to the Palestinian resistance, and in particular to the oppressed and strong people [of Gaza]. As they declare their indescribable joy and enthusiasm, as they celebrate the support and honorable friendship provided by the other members of the Islamic resistance front in the region to Gaza, and as they praise the sacrifices of Hizbullah in Lebanon, of Yemen’s Ansar Allah [the Houthis], and of the Iraqi resistance, and as they warn of any possible violation of the [ceasefire] agreement by the Zionist Satan as they maintain readiness on the ground to deal with war and new crimes, we hope that with God’s help, the Muslims’ prayer of victory at Al-Aqsa Mosque will become headline news in the global media, in the not-too-distant future.[6]
Tasnim News Agency’s Vitrina Magazine On “Gaza’s Historic Victory”
Vitrina magazine, published by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, featured on its January 16, 2025 front page a photo of a jubilant Gaza crowd, headlined “Gaza’s Historic Victory” and text reading, “The heroic resistance of the Gaza residents ultimately forced the Zionist regime and America to accept the ceasefire and the conditions of the resistance.”
It added: “Israel said it would destroy Hamas and free its prisoners [i.e. the Israeli hostages held by Hamas] by military force. But now it has reached an agreement with that same Hamas, whose number of forces is unchanged, and has accepted its terms, including a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Israel remains in the same situation as it was on the first day [of the Gaza war] after 467 days of crimes!”[7]
Mohsen Rezaee, Member Of The Iranian Regime’s Expediency Council: “Indeed, Palestine Lives”
In a post on X on January 16, 2025, Expediency Council member Mohsen Rezaee, who is also secretary of the Coordination Council of the three branches of government and secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Economic Coordination, welcomed the ceasefire and stated that the resistance was still alive. He wrote: “Victory from blood, a smile from out of the rubble, and hands raised in failure to trust in Palestine. Congratulations to the friends of Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah. Indeed, Palestine lives.”[8]
Billboard In Tehran’s Palestine Square Following The Ceasefire: Palestine Has Won
The Mashregh News website published, on January 19, a photo and poster of a billboard that was put up in Tehran’s Palestine Square depicting the blue stripes and Star of David of the Israeli flag being torn off the flag in the wind. The text, in Hebrew and Farsi, states: “Palestine has won, and in the end you [Israel] surrendered.”[9]
Basij Commander Gholam Reza Soleimani: “The Depth And Breadth Of This Great Victory By Occupied Palestine Are Global… The End Of The Zionist Regime’s Dark And Filthy Life Is Nigh”
In a January 16, 2025 speech, Basij commander Gholam Reza Soleimani praised the resistance of the Palestinian people in Gaza for forcing their demands on Israel, the U.S., and Europe. These demands, according to him, included the freeing of Palestinian security prisoners and the lifting of the Israeli siege on Gaza. It should, however, be noted that Gaza was never under siege before October 8, 2023, the day after the October 7 Hamas attack on Gaza, and that Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
The following are the main points of Soleimani’s statements:
“The [Gazan] people who are steadfast, proud, and seek martyrdom have successfully imposed their demands on the criminal Zionist regime after 16 months of struggle. They have won a great victory, continuing the [series of] successive victories.
“Today, the entire world acknowledges, and experts and politicians have announced, that with this ceasefire, Hamas and the oppressed Gaza residents successfully imposed their demands on this armed and criminal regime.
“The Palestinian people forced its demands not only on the Zionist regime that is situated on the occupied lands, but also on the criminals in the world, including the criminal America and Europe who supported these criminals over the past 16 months and whose hands are stained with the pure blood of over 50,000 Gazan and Palestinian martyrs…
“The oppressed people managed to achieve a great victory by imposing its will… Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and [Hamas’ military wing], the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood with two goals: to obtain the release of the oppressed Palestinian prisoners in the prisons of the criminal Zionist regime, and to liberate the oppressed land of Gaza from the siege. Today, the Zionist regime is forced to accept both goals in the ceasefire agreement.
“The leaders of the criminal Zionist regime, for their part, said that they would not stop the war until Hamas was destroyed, the oppressed Gaza residents were expelled from the region, and Hizbullah was destroyed in their false imagination, and security was established in this or that corridor or this or that area. But not one of their demands was accepted in the ceasefire agreement, and they achieved not a single one of their aims.
“During this time, Hamas succeeded in recruiting and training more people than were martyred, and in the days prior to the ceasefire, heavy operations were carried out in northern Gaza against the Zionist occupiers, heavy losses were inflicted on the occupying army, and dozens were killed in several operations.
“This great victory is deep and its scope is broad, and the depth and breadth of this great victory by occupied Palestine are global… The existence of this regime is now in doubt, after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and if not for the support of America and Europe, its existence would not continue. The end of the Zionist regime’s dark and filthy life is nigh, and one of the signs of this is the victory of the oppressed Gaza residents and their forcing of their will on this criminal regime…”[10]
Deputy Qods Force Commander Iraj Masjedi: In The Recent War, A Million Israelis Were Uprooted From Their Homes – And 250,000 Left Israel Permanently
At a January 18, 2025 memorial ceremony in Qom for soldiers who fell in defense of the holy sites, Qods Force deputy commander Iraj Masjedi boasted about the damage inflicted on Israel in its war against the resistance front. Claiming that a million Israelis had been uprooted from their homes and that 250,000 had left Israel permanently, he too added that Israel had failed to achieve its goals in the Gaza war and had ultimately been forced to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas.
He also said that the Palestinians, Hamas and Islamic Jihad consider themselves victorious because of their resistance, which he said had yielded significant achievements against Israel, and praised the role played by the resistance front fighters – including Hizbullah, the Fatemiyoun militia in Syria, and the Iraqi militias. Their steadfastness, he added, had stopped terrorist threats from infiltrating into Iranian territory.
Masjedi noted that the resistance front leaders had spoken with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about the achievements, and expressed his appreciation for Iran’s Qods Force for its activity for the resistance.[11]
Khamenei’s Advisor Ali Shamkhani: “The Ceasefire Is The Beginning Of The Consolidation And Rehabilitation Of The Strength Of The Resistance”
In a January 16 post on X, Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former secretary general of the Supreme National Security Council, stated that the ceasefire agreement showed the weakness of the U.S. and was the beginning of the rehabilitation of the Iran-led resistance. He wrote:
“The ceasefire, which ended 15 months of crimes and aggression in Gaza, is not just a stopping point. It is the beginning of the consolidation and rehabilitation of the strength of the resistance, in the face of genocide, occupation, and injustice. This agreement reflects the undermining of the equations that control the system of hegemony, and reaffirms the truth that standing on the path of righteousness changes the fate of history.”[12]
Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, Chairman Of The Committee For The Support Of The Islamic Revolution Of The Palestinian People Under The Office Of The President: “The Steadfastness Of The Resistance Led To The Defeat Of The Occupiers; The End Of Israel Is Nigh”
Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, Chairman of the Committee for the Support of the Islamic Revolution of the Palestinian People, under the Office of the President, said on January 27, 2025 that achieving the ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of the prisoners and hostages stemmed from the impressive determination of the Gazans and the steadfastness of the resistance axis:
“After the successful Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the grave damage caused by Israel’s actions in Gaza, the persistence and the manliness of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, and the steadfastness of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah, Ansar Allah [Houthis] in Yemen, and Hashd Al-Shaabi in Iraq, Israel’s plans have been thwarted for now.” He also stressed Iran’s significant support, “which contributed to the triumph of the blood of the martyrs over the sword of oppression.”
In his capacity as head of the Ahl Al-Bayt World Assembly Akhtari welcomed “the impressive victory of the Palestinian people and the Gazans’ glorious steadfastness” and stressed: “This victory took place despite the extensive military support that the U.S. and the West provided to Israel.” He added that “the victory exposes Israel’s failure to actualize its goals, despite its supporters’ efforts to conceal its scandalous defeat.”
After reiterating the words of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, that “bombing civilians does not attest to might or success,” Akhtari continued: “Israel has not managed to free its prisoners [that is, the hostages]; it has not managed to transfer the Gaza residents [elsewhere], and it has not managed to defeat Hamas. Today, Gaza is controlled by the Palestinian people and the resistance forces. The Palestinian issue is important, and support for it must continue. We thank God that every plan of the Zionist regime was thwarted and that the end of Israel is nigh.”[13]
Mojtaba Amani, Iranian Ambassador To Lebanon: Israel Failed To Achieve Its War Goals; Hizbullah And Hamas Retain Their Organizational Structure And Fighting Forces
On January 15, 2025, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani posted on X that Israel had not accomplished its war goals in Gaza and that the resistance would triumph. Amani was one of those wounded in the beeper attack on Hizbullah members in September 2024.
Amani wrote: “After 15 months of crimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, the Zionist regime was forced to sign the agreement it had rejected out of hand. Not a single one of Netanyahu’s promises [i.e. war goals] were fulfilled. The organizational structure and fighting forces of Hizbullah and Hamas still exist. The Zionists should know that their killing and crimes during this time is a great motivation for the continuation of the resistance against this regime.”[14]
Kayhan: The Ceasefire Is A Humiliation For The West And For The Zionists
The regime mouthpiece Kayhan daily called the ceasefire a humiliation for the Zionist regime because it had not achieved a single one of its war goals and was now forced to accept the ceasefire. It wrote on January 18, the day before the ceasefire went into effect:
“It appears that the Zionist regime’s senior officials tend to experience bitter defeat by the resisting Gaza residents every 20 years… In 2005 also, the Zionists unilaterally pulled 21 Israeli settlements out of the Gaza Strip and the Zionist settlers and this military left Gaza…
“What led the Tel Aviv authorities to the negotiating table today, and forced upon them a ceasefire, albeit temporary… was not a Hamas defeat but important factors that forced Netanyahu to kneel before Hamas and the resistance of the Gaza residents. [These factors include:]
"Hamas's powerful strategies of resistance and defense over the past 15 months of war, even though over 70% of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed and people are in terrible straits, beginning with starvation and including [the lack of] health services.
"International pressure and regional and global considerations, of which the great [protest] marches in the capitals of the Israel-supporting countries are a clear example.
"A change of the perception of most of Zionist society, after the successive failures – and the protests in the Zionist cities are proof of this.
"Intensification of the legal dimensions and the international responsibility for Gaza – and the ruling by the Hague court against the Zionist regime's prime minister is proof of this.
"The intensification of the domestic psychological and social ramifications, particularly the suicides in the regime's army.
"The failure to achieve the goals and the results that were set.
"The fear of the ramifications after the war and the emergence of a Hamas that is greater than today's Hamas and the [other] jihadi groups
"The growing negative impacts of the war on this regime's fragile economy, [which have reached] the point where at least three of its important ports are shut down, or partially shut down.
"The emergence of strong disagreements among members of the party supporting Netanyahu is another factor that forced this regime to surrender to the resistance of the residents of Gaza and to accept the ceasefire by accepting all of Hamas's conditions...“The fact is that the Gaza ceasefire, temporary or permanent, is embarrassing and humiliating for the Zionists and their supporters in the West, particularly for America, which for nearly 16 months provided hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs to this regime so that there would be no safe place in Gaza…
“[Even] if this war ends, its disgrace will forever remain on the foreheads of those who pretend to seek peace, and of the Muslim governments that permitted the killing of Gaza’s children with their deadly silence. This crime of the Zionists and the betrayal of the countries that support them will remain [etched] in history.”[15]
II. The Iranian Regime’s Apologetic Explanation: The Resistance Axis Preempted A Planned Attack By Israel And The West
Regime Mouthpiece Kayhan: “Had The Al-Aqsa Flood Not Happened, America And Israel Would Have Probably Achieved Their Goals – To Destroy All The Resistance In The Region And In The Islamic Countries”
On January 21, 2025, the Iranian regime mouthpiece Kayhan claimed that, were it not for Hamas’ initiative in attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, America and Israel would have executed their “plan” on October 14th to destroy the resistance axis in the region. Kayhan argued that the steadfast determination of the Gazans forced Israel to surrender and agree to Hamas’ terms and release 3,000 prisoners who are motivated and trained – each and every one of whom will one day become as great a threat to Israel as Sinwar was. Therefore, it added, Israel should expect more attacks like those on October 7. The ceasefire agreement, it claimed, is evidence of the U.S.’s failure.
Kayhan wrote: “According to America’s and Israel’s plan before the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood,’ they decided to clean out Gaza on October 14, and to launch the crimes they have carried out over the last 15 months in order to close the case of the Palestinian cause forever. Had the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ not happened, they would have probably achieved their goals – to destroy all the resistance in the region and in the Islamic countries. But [Operation] Al-Aqsa Flood stopped America from attaining this foreboding goal, and the ceasefire in Gaza is a result of the failure of America’s aims!…
“Striking the greatest intelligence-security-military and political blow against the Zionist regime, raising awareness in global public opinion and hatred for America and Israel worldwide, attacking the occupied territories [Israel] and the ships and oil tankers heading to that regime, America’s inability to provide Israel with security, Israel’s inability to destroy the resistance – all these are the result of the blessings of the Al-Aqsa Flood [Operation] and the patience of Gaza’s residents, who proved that Israel is weaker than a spider’s web.”[16]
IRGC Deputy Chief Naqdi: “The Iranian Nation’s Steadfastness Revived The Palestinian Resistance Front… The Palestinian Resistance Neutralized Israel’s Normalization Plan”
In a January 19 speech at the 19th “Great Prophet” military exercise, IRGC Deputy Chief and Coordination Department Head Mohammad Reza Naqdi said that Israel’s and America’s plans against the resistance were foiled thanks to the October 7 attack, and that “the great resistance” was rewarded by God, which is the ultimate victory. The following are the main points of his speech:
“The blood of Gaza’s 17,000 oppressed and martyred children have now paralyzed Israel and America, which were dealt the greatest humiliation of all in the form of the ceasefire… We were granted by God the reward of great resistance, and that is the final victory granted to the residents of Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon. The steadfastness of the Iranian nation revived the Palestinian resistance front. This steadfastness led to the uprising of the Lebanese people, and proved to the world that truth resides with the resisting nation.
“Israel wanted to swallow Palestine up with its actions in the region, to act as the policeman and the dominant superpower in the region, in partnership with its allies, but it was faced with great resistance, which neutralized all its plans. Some countries in the region attempted to implement normalized relations with Israel, trying to make it into the policeman of the region, but [Operation] ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ neutralized those pipe dreams, and the oppressed residents of Gaza won with honor while adhering to Islam. The residents of Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon learned this [manner of] resistance by studying the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, and the heroic stories of the [Iranian] cities Dezful, Khorramshahr, and Andimeshk, and [then] played them out in their own country for all to see.
“The enemy used all his aggression, entering in full force and unleashing 70,000 tons of bombs on the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine, destroying all homes, hospitals, and universities, only to receive humiliation and helplessness.
“Today, Israel is the most defeated in the region, helpless, having incurred $120 billion in war damages, and losing 500,000 residents to emigration. In the political arena, Israel and Netanyahu are the biggest losers, because [Netanyahu] is under surveillance for committing a clear crime, witnessed by the entire world…”[17]
Mohsen Rezaee, Expediency Council Member: The Abraham Accords Are Part Of The Plan To Attack Gaza And The Resistance Front, Following The Peace Treaty With Arab States; The West Stood Behind Israel And Led It To Force A War On Six Countries… The Resistance Axis Was [Merely] Defending Itself
Expediency Council member Mohsen Rezaee explained the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel – which caused Iran and its resistance axis to sustain severe blows in the various fighting arenas – as a preemptive defensive move necessitated by what he said was an Israeli-Western plan that was part of Israel’s normalization agreements with the Gulf states.
In an online meeting with Majlis members and members of the Council of the Alliance of the Islamic Revolutionary Forces, on January 21, 2025, Rezaee stated that the war was in fact forced on the resistance axis – that is, Iran’s proxies in the region – because the neocons in the U.S., on which the Trump administration relies, aim to launch a war against Iran and its proxies as the next phase of the Abraham Accords. He said that the U.S., Britain, France, and the West stood behind Israel and led it to attack six Middle East countries that were extensions of Iran in the region. These apologetic explanations by a top regime official came in the wake of harsh criticism, both in regime circles and in the Iranian public, of the severe Israeli blows to the resistance axis across the region and of the waste of Iran’s massive economic and political outlay, in addition to the significant damage to Iran’s geopolitical standing vis-à-vis the Arab countries and the West.
Rezaee said: “The six countries that confronted the Zionist regime after the Al-Aqsa Flood are an important part of Western Asia [i.e. the Middle East]. A great event took place [Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack]. America, Britain, France, and the West stood behind Israel, completely supported it, and led it to force a war on the region and on the six countries – Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. The resistance axis was [merely] defending itself.
“The neoconservatives appeared during the Bush Jr. [presidency] and this group is the element that is [driving] America’s waging of wars. Today, in the second wave of the [neoconservatives’] wars in the last year of the Biden presidency – the weakest of his administration – [this] group intended to launch an additional war in the region and its motto was ‘make America great again.’
“A few years ago, a plan called the Abraham Accords was proposed. Part of this plan was to attack Gaza and the resistance axis after a peace agreement was reached with Arab states. The first aim was to create a future for Israel and to stabilize the status of this counterfeit state. The second aim was to regain America’s strength and to control the petroleum resources in the region so it would have a position of strength in the world of the future and in the rivalry with China.
“Trump said in his election campaign that he wants to make America great again, and this shows that America is in fact weakened.
“The great war in the region, that was forced on the resistance axis through the role of America, Israel, and the Western front, ended with a severe defeat for Israel on all fronts, as shown by their own media commentators.
“With regard to casualties, Israel has never had [so many] killed in any war; with regard to economics, its economic growth reached [only] 2%, in contrast to 6% [in years past]. A great many Zionists left the occupied territories [i.e. Israel] and [the war cost] it $60-80 billion. Politically, this is the first time that the international organizations condemned a Zionist element, and some countries announced that if Netanyahu traveled to them he would be arrested, and this is a shameful failure [for him].
“The most important aspect of the victory is that Hamas, as a group most severely sanctioned and totally besieged, operated better and more strongly than the Zionist regime did in managing the war arena. This shows that a Palestinian government established by the Palestinians will operate much more strongly than the Zionists in managing the Palestinian residents, meaning that the Palestinians stand by Palestine and that Palestine is alive and stable.
“Therefore, Israel has failed in administration and in command on the battlefield. The Palestinians, with over 47,000 martyrs, have thwarted the plan of ‘[Israel] from the Nile to the Euphrates,’ and the Arab states must kiss the hands of the Palestinian fighters and help rebuild Gaza. America’s and Israel’s capabilities are weakened; an example and sign of this weakness is their turning to a group like Tahrir Al-Sham in Syria…”[18]
[1] Tasnim (Iran), January 20, 2025.
[2] Tasnim (Iran), January 20, 2025.
[3] Tasnim (Iran), February 4, 2025.
[4] Tasnim (Iran), January 16, 2025.
[5] X.com/khamenei_ir/status/1881348704088805790, January 20, 2025.
[6] Tasnim (Iran), January 16, 2025.
[7] Tasnim (Iran), January 16, 2025.
[8] X.com/ir_rezaee/status/1879780571414659189?s=46&t=T94zB2Rhaa8aiaI9pS8VIQ, January 16, 2025.
[9] Mashregh News (Iran), January 19, 2025.
[10] Tasnim (Iran), January 16, 2025.
[11] Tasnim (Iran), January 18, 2025.
[12] X.com/alishamkhani_ir/status/1879836261558661582?s=46&t=T94zB2Rhaa8aiaI9pS8VIQ, January 16, 2025
[13] Nour News (Iran), January 27, 2025.
[14] X.com/mojtaba_amaani/status/1879614371971686441, January 15, 2025.
[15] Kayhan (Iran), January 18, 2025.
[16] Kayhan (Iran), January 21, 2025.
[17] Tasnim (Iran), January 19, 2025.
[18] Tasnim (Iran), January 21, 2025.