Iranian Media Discuss the Merits of the Gaza War

Since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Iranian authorities have struggled to craft a coherent narrative for the Iranian public. Initially, the regime’s propaganda portrayed the assault as evidence of Israel’s intelligence failure. However, as Israel gained the upper hand – not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon and in its confrontation with Iran – segments of Iranian media began to question who truly benefited from the war.

• October 11: Under the headline “Did This Storm Have a Winner?” conservative Jomhouri-ye Eslami‘s editorial board wrote about Hamas’ October 7 attack, referred to as “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” in light of the recent cease-fire:
  • “Hamas’ agreement with the Zionist regime to halt the Gaza war and exchange prisoners – while a welcome development in terms of stopping the bloodshed – has raised an important question in public opinion: Which side benefits from this event?”
    • “The reality is that, contrary to many analyses and opinions, Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was a mistake. From the very first moments we heard the news of this operation, we held that view, and now – more than two years after its execution – we are even more convinced.”
    • “The destruction of Gaza, including the demolition of 80% of its buildings and all its infrastructure, is an immense loss. The killing of Hamas leaders and nearly 68,000 men, women, and children from Gaza, along with about 200,000 wounded and the displacement of nearly all inhabitants of the strip, cannot be ignored.”
    • “Syria’s exit from the anti-Zionist front and its being swallowed by the United States and Israel is one of the greatest losses of the past two years. This should be regarded as one of the negative consequences of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.”
    • “The penetration of the Zionist regime into southern Lebanon, the martyrdom of 4,000 people there – including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose loss must be considered the greatest blow to the anti-Zionist front in the Arab world – is a direct consequence of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. Another major loss to Lebanon is the rise of a government aligned with the United States and the Zionist regime, nullifying decades of effort to keep that country outside the sphere of U.S. and Israeli influence.”
    • “The losses suffered by Yemen’s Houthis, in both human and material terms, should likewise be regarded as consequences of the Gaza war.”
    • “In the 12-day war imposed by Israel and the United States on Iran, although the aggressors failed to achieve their goals, the martyrdom of 1,100 of our compatriots – including military commanders and scientists – was a grave loss as was the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, another damaging consequence of that war.”
    • “Despite two years of genocide in Gaza and atrocities throughout Palestine, the Zionist regime failed to achieve its declared objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing Israeli captives. It now seeks to accomplish both goals through this agreement.”
    • “It remains unclear whether, after the release of Israeli captives, the Zionist regime will honor the agreement it reached with Hamas in Egypt to withdraw from Gaza and refrain from further crimes. The bad faith of the United States and the Zionist regime – staining every page of their record – makes it difficult to trust that they will abide by the terms of this pact.”
  • October 15: An anonymous columnist, commenting on Jomhouri-ye Eslami’s editorial, wrote in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-aligned Javan:
    • “Clearly, Jomhouri-ye Eslami is trying to contribute to the anti-‘axis of resistance’ narrative and is theorizing passivity and surrender instead of asking what else the inmates of the open-air prison called Gaza could have done. This deviationist newspaper led by Masih Mohajeri further attributes all subsequent losses to Al-Aqsa Storm to make the claim that resistance does not yield anything but loss and destruction. But his biggest mistake is when he cites Imam Khomeini to legitimize his claim … By this logic, God forbid, Imam Hussein too can be blamed for participating in the Battle of Karbala, which led to the martyrdom of the imam and his companions.”

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