TEHRAN- The Foreign Policy, in an article on December 4, shed light on “The 7 reasons why Iran won’t fight for Hamas”. Truly, Tehran has been insisting and promoting the idea of a referendum as a peaceful solution to the Palestinian wound that self-proclaimed defenders of democracy have no justification to reject it. 

Since Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, Iranian officials have been emphasizing that the operation was planned and carried out by the resistance groups, calling it a “purely Palestinian initiative.”

The Israeli and Western officials, faced with the unforgettable defeat, have clung to every straw to link the operation to Tehran. 

By portraying Tehran as the main backer of the Hamas operation, the Zionists have been seeking to downgrade the scope of their failure and find an excuse to distort the ongoing realities in Palestine.  

The Tel Aviv officials have been launching relentless efforts, especially by launching political and media campaigns, to attribute their intelligence and military failure to Iran, saying such an operation could not have been carried out merely by Hamas fighters.

Referendum: Tehran’s stance on Palestine issue

Tehran has made constructive efforts at bilateral, regional, and international levels to end the oppressive war against Gazans since October 7. 

Back on November 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian renewed Tehran's call for holding a referendum with the participation of all Palestinians as a principled political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. 

Referring to the Arab-OIC summit held in Riyadh, Amir Abdollahian highlighted the proposals of President Raisi such as lifting the blockade on the enclave, holding a tribunal for the Zionist war criminals, and forcing the regime and its Western backers to stop the brutal aggression and genocide, establishing a special fund for the immediate reconstruction of Gaza and the massive dispatch of humanitarian aid convoys. 

Emphasizing the right of the Palestinian people to determine their destiny in a meeting with foreign ambassadors and heads and representatives of international organizations residing in Tehran in late November, the head of the Iranian diplomacy apparatus said “referendum” provides the best solution to the decades-long Palestinian crisis.

Rejecting the idea of two governments to solve the Palestinian issue, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri Kani also said referendum presents “the only solution” to the Palestinian issue.

Also last week, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, echoed Tehran's emphasis on its principled position, which is “holding a referendum with the participation of all Palestinians”.

Tehran’s support for Palestine is spiritual not military

From the early hours that Hamas launched the Storm Operation, Iranian officials clearly stated that Tehran had recognized the right of Palestinians to defend themselves. Also, they described the support for the Palestinian nation “as support for the oppressed.”

Hamas, through releasing footages, has proved that without being noticed by Western and Israeli spy agencies, it had prepared itself for the operation. Therefore, Hamas can defend the Palestinian cause without the military support of Tehran.

Moreover, according to the statements by U.S. officials, Iran has not backed Hamas in the Storm Operation.

Bursting across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air, and sea, and firing rockets at Tel-Aviv, the Hamas fighters portrayed the vulnerability of Israel.     
   
In a bid to regain its damaged reputation, the arrogant Israeli Army launched a ground invasion inside the Gaza Strip after a carpet bombing over the small territory.

The Israeli Army, which has been supported by Westerners including top U.S. officers, has found itself in a dead end. The war with Hamas seems like a never-ending war for Tel Aviv. The fallacy of Tehran’s military support for Hamas, which has been trumpeted by Western media, is intended to garner more support for Israel by the West.

Iran not seeking war, yet it quite ready 

Tel Aviv’s officials have kept promoting the Israel-Hamas war as a proxy war between Tehran and Washington. This policy stems from the regime’s helplessness to counter the resistance front.

In an article on December 3, The Hill newspaper cited reasons that a direct military attack of the U.S. Army on Iran would cost Washington too much without much gains. 

Thanks to its long-range air defense systems, anti-aircraft missiles, naval mines, and unmanned aerial vehicles, Iran enjoys a high deterrence power, enabling the Islamic Republic to give a crushing response to any military adventure.  
   
On the other hand, in mid-October and during a campaign under the slogan of “I am your opponent,” more than 2,700,000 Iranians booked their names, voicing their readiness to support the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation. 

Iran’s surprising military achievements along with the support for the system that is inspired by the Islamic revolution have brought enemies to second thoughts in their threats against Iran.