TEHRAN - The following report highlights the viewpoints of the top Iranian political and military figures regarding the barbarity of the Israeli rulers against Palestinians in Gaza.

The senior Iranian officials have openly supported the Palestinians’ struggle against the Israeli occupation and violence for more than four decades. Iran also praised the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by Hamas against Israel inside the occupied territories on October 7. However, the Islamic Republic has dismissed linking the Storm operation to Iran as non-sensical. 

Despite all commotions, Iran stands with the oppressed Palestinians.

Leader’s stance regarding Storm operation

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in the joint graduation ceremony for the cadets on October 10 said: “We cannot be indifferent to these matters and to this important event. Fortunately, the stances taken by our officials were correct and good.”

Later the Leader touched on the “irreparable defeat” of the usurping Zionist regime both in terms of “military and intelligence”. 

“I say that this devastating earthquake [Al-Aqsa Storm Operation] has managed to destroy some of the main structures of the usurping regime’s rule, which cannot be rebuilt so easily,” Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

According to Ayatollah Khamenei, the courageous, self-sacrificing move of the Palestinians was a response to the crimes of the usurping enemy, which have continued for many years and increased in intensity in recent months.

The attempt to show itself as a “victim” was the next point that the Leader touched on, pointing to the “pretext” by the Israeli regime to continue with more ferocity. 

The Leader, upon his final point on October 10, stressed the “nonsense” that has been aired by the Zionists and their supporters, which claim “Iran is behind this move (Storm operation).” 

“They are mistaken,” the Leader pointed out. “Of course, we support Palestine. We support their fight. We praise the minds and efforts of the resourceful, intelligent designers and the brave youth of Palestine. We are proud of them. This is true. But those who say that non-Palestinians are behind what the Palestinians have done do not know the Palestinian nation. They underestimate the Palestinian nation.”

In his meeting with Nigeria’s Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky on October 14, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution also stated, "One of the manifestations of Islam’s power today, can be seen in the incidents that are taking place in Palestine." 

“With the Almighty God’s grace, this movement that has begun in Palestine will progress and lead to the complete victory of the Palestinians,” Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted.

On October 17, in a meeting with highly talented persons, the Leader also pointed to the responsibility of everybody regarding the ongoing tragedies in Gaza, saying, “Hungry people are being martyred by the hundreds due to the bombardments. We must see what the truth is and stand by it.”
  
The world is seeing the “genocidal crime of usurping regime,” the Leader lamented. 
Ayatollah Khamenei disputed statements by the Westerners who claimed that Hamas fighters have killed “civilians”, saying this is “not true”.
 
Addressing the policymakers’ plans, which have caused the current events, the Leader said: “The Zionist regime must definitely be prosecuted. The U.S. government must also realize it is responsible in this matter. The Zionist regime’s current policy during this past week is being formulated by the U.S.”

President’s stance

On October 8, one day after the Al-Aqsa Storm operation, President Raisi said the Hamas operation was Tel Aviv’s military and intelligence notoriety.

In his call with Ismail Haniyeh, the Iranian president said the authority, honor, and pride of the Palestinian resistance is a source of pride for the Islamic Ummah.
 
Also, in a call with Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhale, the president said the Zionist regime is in decline, yet the resistance is getting close to victory.

On the occasion of the Palestinian resistance’s victories on October 7, Raisi issued a message saying the dignity of nations cannot be achieved in reconciliation with oppression. 

In a call with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Raisi said without realizing the rights of the Palestinians, no solution can be applicable, and insisted on the capabilities of the Islamic world to stop the Zionists’ war crimes.

Raisi insisted on the Palestinians' rights in his call with the Syrian President Assad as well. He said that no world order can be shaped in the region without realizing the Palestinians’ rights. 

The president also kept in touch with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad on October 14, saying in case the tyranny was able to silence the Palestinians, it would have happened within the past 75 years. 
Also, speaking to the Sultan of Oman and the Iraqi Prime minister, Raisi called for an immediate action by the Muslim countries to stop the Israeli “war crimes and genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

The president referred to the massacre of 700 children (that has now reached 2000) in Gaza by the occupying regime in his call with French President Emmanuel Macron on October 15, asking, “How do Tel Aviv allies justify the massacre in Gaza?”
Also on October 16, Raisi, in a call with Turkish counterpart, listed “condemning the Israeli aggression, ceasefire, and lifting Gaza blockade” as the three top priorities.

The Iranian and Brazilian presidents said on October 17 that the criminal, insane and illegal actions of the Zionists will expand the scope of conflicts to other parts of the region.

Upon the airstrike on the Al-Ahli hospital in central Gaza and the martyrdom of about 500 innocent Palestinians, Raisi, in the cabinet session on October 18, called the inhumane action a “black spot” in the history of Israel. The president also uttered the readiness of the Islamic Ummah to defend and help the oppressed Palestinian nations. 

In the meeting with the medical staff on October 19, Raisi referred to the veto of the resolution drafts in the UN Security Council and said the blood of the Palestinian martyrs would replace the new world order with the unjust one.

In his October 22 meeting with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Raisi cast doubt on the role of the Security Council to keep the world peace.

Iranian top military officials’ stance 

Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, referring to the Hamas operation, issued a message on October 8 saying that the nightmare of the collapse of the Zionist regime has become a reality. 

He reminded that the operation proved the fake power of the occupying regime.

“Desperate efforts, such as the ridiculous display of the normalization process, will not be able to slow down or delay the decline and collapse of the spider web,” stated the top Iranian general.

Later on October 18, he issued another statement condemning the silence toward the massacres in the Gaza Strip. The general stated that the silence toward the Israeli “war crimes” is in fact an alignment with the fake regime.

He called on the international institutions to break their silence and prevent the continuation of the “genocide” in the Gaza Strip. 

The airstrike on Al-Ahli hospital, in the general’s point of view, was an effort by Tel Aviv to restore its fake authority.

In the end, he said: “As the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, the continuation of the violence by the Israeli regime would provoke the Islamic Ummah and the resistance forces with no one being able to stop them”.

Simultaneous with the escalation of the inhumane acts by the Tel Aviv rulers and the unwavering support by the Westerners for the Zionist regime, General Bagheri, in his call with the Qatari and Russian defense chief on October 19, called for immediate actions by the international community to stop the Israeli crimes. 

The continuation of Tel Aviv’s brutalities and war crimes may bring other players to the scene and make the situation more complicated, according to General Bagheri. 

He also called the resistance operation “legitimate,” which is a response to the Zionists’ incessant violence against Palestinians. 
The general emphasized the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gazans as well. 

Later in a call with his Turkish counterpart on October 20, General Bagheri stressed that Washington’s support for Tel Aviv would make the situation more complicated. 
Warning against the widespread support by the U.S. for Israel, he said the military deployment of American equipment for Israel is “participation of the U.S. government from Israeli war crimes.”

General Hossein Salami, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), also said on October 9 that Al-Aqsa Storm Operation was the “birth of Palestine”.

He added that Palestine, while in blockade, showcased its power.
 
The operation was run by the spirit of martyrdom and the strength of faith of the resistance front, according to the IRGC commander.

Later, on October 21, addressing worshippers in Tehran, Salami stated that the operation was beyond the scope of politicians, thinkers, and strategists’ understanding.  
 
“Zionist regime will fall at the hands of Palestinians,” Iranian Army Commander Abdolrahim Mousavi also said on October 22.  

Speaking at a ceremony at the Air Defense Academy, Major General Mousavi said, "The Israeli regime and its masters (allies) are trying to attribute the successful Storm Operation to Iran due to the slap they have received from Hamas.”

"Of course, both the Zionists and their masters know that this issue has nothing to do with Iran," the commander stated, adding that if Iran is going to take action against them, the dimensions of our battle with the Zionist regime will be at the level of one of our updated operations in the Sacred Defense,” the army chief pointed out.

The major general called the Storm Operation “a great blow” to the Zionist regime “that is not digestible for them.”
Major General Mousavi said occupiers of the Palestinian lands are feeling that “their prestige” has been badly tarnished in the world.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs stance

Earlier on October 7, the first day of the Storm operation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the operation the “natural right” of the Palestinians to defend themselves. 

Zionists’ insults and crimes had left no choice for the Palestinians except to rely on resistance to defend their homeland and cause.

On Saturday evening, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers held calls to evaluate the latest developments in Palestine. Both sides realized the rights of the Palestinian nations as well. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also insisted on the convergence and the unity of Islamic countries to support the oppressed Palestinians. 
Pointing to the violation of the UN resolutions, the Iranian foreign minister, in a call with his Hungarian counterpart on October 8, outlined the Israeli crimes, including attacks on hospitals, mosques, and

churches,  would expand the war and complicate the current situation.

The Iranian and Iraqi foreign ministers also insisted on the need for unity among Muslim countries to support the oppressed Palestinians. 

In the October 9 presser, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “Some (Westerners) try to replace the role of the oppressed and the oppressor.” 

He stated the West tries to run the propaganda against the oppressed Palestinians. 

Later in the press conference, he stated that the OIC should prioritize the Palestine issue.

He added that those who threaten Iran should know that any action against Iran would face a crushing response. 

On the alleged claims by some Western officials saying Iran has backed Hamas in the Storm operation, Kanaani said Palestinians are now capable and motivated with strong will to defend themselves. 

Iran’s Amir Abdollahian, in a call with his Omani counterpart, discussed the Israeli war crimes, pointing to the number of Palestinians being martyred. 

The chief diplomat also said insult to Islamic sanctities is on the agenda of Tel Aviv. 

In the end, the top diplomat thanked Oman’s approach in backing the oppressed Palestinians. 

The Iranian and Qatari foreign ministers condemned the Israeli war crimes in Gaza on October 9.

Amir Abdollahian wrote on X that he had discussed the Palestine issue with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on October 10, adding that the operation was the reaction of the Palestinians to the oppression and the crimes of the Zionists. 

In his call with Borrell, the Iranian diplomat criticized the indifference of the Western officials regarding the systematic Israeli crimes.

The Israeli attack that left a reporter martyred in southern Lebanon was censured by the Foreign Ministry spokesman Kanaani.

Kanaani also condemned the Zionist regime for the forced displacement of the Gazans. 

The Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote on X that those who have to leave the Palestine soil are the occupiers, not the Palestinians.

“The child-killing regime welcomed the children in Gaza with bombs,” was the message of Kanaani on X on the occasion of the International Children’s Day on October 8.
In phone talks on October 10 with Brahim Taha, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Amir Abdollahian conferred the Palestine issue.

He urged the urgent OIC meeting to help the Palestinians.

The chief diplomat also voiced Iran’s readiness to host the meeting.

Amir Abdollahian, in a letter to António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed concerns over Israel’s brutalities and violations in the Gaza Strip. 

He asked Guterres to take necessary measures to stop violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights by the Zionists.

On October 17, the Iranian foreign minister held a call with his Russian counterpart to confer on the Palestine issue. The Iranian side called the current crisis the result of the Israeli extremism.

He pointed to the cut order over the electricity, food, and water supply to the almost more than 2 million Gazans. 

The foreign minister appreciated his Egyptian counterpart’s approach toward the Palestine issue. 

Amir Abdollahian, in a call with the chief of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger on October 10, condemned the Gaza blockade and censured the growing Israeli war crimes, including the regime’s bombardment of the residential areas.

In response to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Amir Abdollahian insisted that the operation by Hamas was purely Palestinian. 

On October 11, in a call with the Emirati foreign minister, Amir Abdollahian emphasized the cooperation of the Muslim countries to support the oppressed Palestinians. 

The foreign minister visited Iraq to discuss the latest developments with the top Iraqi officials on October 11. He also outlined the role of Iraq in supporting Palestine. 

Elsewhere, the top Iranian official pointed to the important role of Iraq in the region, namely in the Palestine issue. 

The Iranian foreign minister, heading a delegation, left Iraq for Beirut to discuss the Palestine issue. The discussions with Lebanese officials were termed “fruitful” by the foreign minister. 

Amir Abdollahian thanked the role of Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanon Parliament, in supporting the resistance. In his visit to Beirut, Amir Abdollahian also held detailed talks with Hezbollah

Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as well. The massacre of the Palestinian civilians was one of the main terms of discussion in a meeting with Hassan Nasrallah.

On October 13, the foreign minister visited Damascus for talks with the Syrian president. 

The regional tour continued as Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian visited Doha on October 14 for talks with Qatar’s prime minister and the country’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to exchange views on the Israeli pounding of Gaza. The two sides censured the massacre of the civilians and the Israeli war crimes. 

While in Doha, Amir Abdollahian also met Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader.

In a talk between the Iranian and Chinese foreign ministers, the Israeli war crimes along with the need for an immediate ceasefire were discussed.

In a call with his Tunisian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Irish, South African, Japanese, Armenian, and Algerian counterparts, the Iranian foreign minister pointed out that the Hamas operation is a “legitimate self-defense”.

Later in the call with Josep Borrell, Amir Abdollahian said that Washington’s backing from Israel is the main reason for the spread of the war. 

The foreign minister traveled to Jeddah to attend the OIC meeting. He held meetings with a number of counterparts to find a way to stop the Israeli war crimes. 

Kuwaiti, Indonesian, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Iraqi, Tunisian, Lebanese, Azeri, Turkish officials were among those that held meetings with the Iranian foreign minister on the sidelines of the OIC meeting. 

The Iranian people in support of the Palestinians

Since the escalation of the Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip, Iranian people have staged rallies in various cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad, to voice their support for the Palestinians and condemn Tel Aviv’s war crimes.

The people held gatherings in Palestine Square in downtown Tehran to show their disgust of the Israeli airstrike on the Al-Ahli hospital in central Gaza on Tuesday night, October 17.

The people chanted “Allah Akbar”, “The silence of every Muslim is a betrayal to the Quran”, and “Down with Israel” to show solidarity with the civilians in Gaza.

Iranian Red Crescent Society officials expressed readiness to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip upon the announcement of Egypt for the opening of the Rafah border crossing.

To protest the appeasement policies of the United Nations against the crimes of the Zionist occupation regime, Iranian mothers with their children held a gathering in front of the UN office in Iran on Thursday evening, October 19.