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As Israel-Hamas War Continues, Iran Watches and Waits

The Medialine: As well as fighting the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel is busy fending off attacks from Hizbullah in the north and from the Houthis in Yemen. Iran, which is behind all the attacks, is hoping to exhaust Israel, says expert.

When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and inflicted what is considered to be the Jewish state’s worst intelligence and military failure in recent years, Iran’s leadership celebrated the opening act of a wider regional conflict.

As Israel’s archenemy, Iran has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Jewish state throughout the past decades, and has helped fund and train Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Iran can be satisfied that its tactic of unifying the arenas against Israel is working, albeit at low intensity. … The Iranian interest is to exhaust Israel.

Iran has also funded other terrorist organizations that continuously threaten Israel, some of which have entered the current round of violence, potentially plunging the region into a much larger war.

“Iran can be satisfied that its tactic of unifying the arenas against Israel is working, albeit at low intensity,” Dr. Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line.

“All the arenas are active, and Israel is preoccupied, surrounded by fire. The Iranian interest is to exhaust Israel,” Guzansky said.

Leading the way is Hizbullah, the Shi’ite political and military organization backed, financed, and trained by Iran that is the strongest armed force in Lebanon. One day after the war in Gaza began, Hizbullah began firing rockets into northern Israel. It has since continued to do so, and the Israeli military continues to respond with airstrikes and artillery fire.

Several Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed and considerable property damage has been inflicted by the Hizbullah attacks. Meanwhile, over 100 Hizbullah terrorists are believed to have been killed by Israel in its responses.

Tens of thousands of people, the majority of people living in northern Israel, have been evacuated further south, and the fighting between Hizbullah and Israel is currently being contained by both parties. However, this could well escalate into a full-blown war.

For Iran, supporting Hizbullah has always been part of its regional strategy and aspirations. But with Hizbullah, and by extension Iran, being careful to avoid further escalation for now, Iran may be signaling that its desire lies elsewhere at the moment.

“By exhausting it, Iran wants to hurt Israel,” Guzansky said. “But ultimately, Iran wants to safeguard Hizbullah as its insurance policy.”

For years, Israel has been warning against the Iranian nuclear program. While Iran denies that the purpose of its nuclear program is military, Israel and many other countries believe otherwise >>>