Iran’s intelligence minister expects ‘serious regional changes’ in wake of Gaza war
Iranian Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib predicted that “serious regional changes” would occur in the near future, predicting a decrease in the “cross-border” damage his country is experiencing, and considered “what Hamas did on October 7 like a new failure.” for America in the region.”
Khatib mocked US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s three trips since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip. The Fars agency, affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards, quoted him as saying: “The US Secretary of State circulates in the region like street vendors, looking for a solution with the help of some countries, so that a shred of dignity remains for the Zionists “. entity, i.e. a truce while saving face”.
He continued in this regard: “The entity that claimed it would be the winner after the (Hamas) attack is now seeking a truce to release the prisoners, and is following this order to take Gaza out of the hands of (Hamas). ”
Khatib told a group of Iranian security officials that “what Hamas did was another failure for America in the region.” He added: “The important point of this operation is that it is another failure of American power in the region and in the world.” He continued: “The hegemony of America, which supports the Zionist entity militarily, in intelligence, economically and politically, has collapsed and was preparing it as an alternative to its scandalous exit from the region.”
Khatib pointed the way to normalization of relations between Israel and the countries of the region. He said: “They (the Americans) have made great efforts to normalize and develop relations with the countries in the region through the plan (the Abraham Accords), and have granted great privileges to some countries in the region,” and added: “They wanted “The Zionist entity will turn into the leading power in the region. The Americans have suffered a worse defeat. On the part of the Israelis, this defeat will certainly lead to a change in American methods in the region.”
Khatib predicted several scenarios, including the survival of American forces sent to the region in recent weeks. He also expected that the operation conducted by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip would lead to “contrary results,” and said: “For the first time in 70-80 years, world public opinion is united against the Zionist entity , until US President Joe Biden was forced to visit the region,” he emphasizes. This is “one of the reasons for America’s failure in the region, and this will lead to changing outcomes in the near future.”
Khatib stressed that his country “is exposed to a hybrid war,” adding that “victory in the hybrid and global war against Iran will be an influential factor in the future.” He added: “Today the Islamic Republic of Iran is attracting interest as a great power in the region,” and went further to state: “Now Iran is a decisive power not only in the region, but also in different parts of the world , and today they feel the power of Iran.”
As a result, he said, “the region will witness new changes in the near future,” adding that it “will witness a stronger confrontation with groups, gangs and alliances that threaten security and, in a broader sense, with terrorist operations ”, without providing details. He also said: “Our cross-border damage will decrease and we will see our cross-border security forces increase.”
Khatib’s statements came two days after a US airstrike on an Iran-linked weapons depot in Syria caused no casualties. On October 26, US forces targeted two facilities in Syria that they said were being used by Iran and its affiliated organizations, and also estimated that such attacks caused no casualties.
At dawn on Friday, Israel launched a bombing raid in Syria in response to the crash of a drone on Thursday in a school in Eilat (in the south), the Israeli army announced.
American forces in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to more than 45 attacks since mid-October, and Washington has blamed them on Iranian-backed factions. The frequency of attacks has intensified since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, following an unprecedented attack by the Islamic movement against Israel on October 7.
Earlier this week, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Saeed Irani, told CNN that he had not held “direct talks” with his American counterpart at the United Nations on Hamas in light of growing concerns about… The epidemic of a broader regional war.
Irani had already held direct talks with the US special envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, on the nuclear program, despite Tehran’s refusal to come to the table for direct negotiations.
Irani said that despite the support Tehran provides to groups waging a proxy war in the region, it does not direct any of their actions, including the Hamas movement.
Irani was asked whether Iranian support was the “link” between attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah, the Houthi militia in Yemen and Iraqi groups in Syria against American forces and Israel.
Irani compared Iranian support for these groups to the support Washington provides for Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, that “expanding the scope of the war has become inevitable as its intensity increases in Gaza.” The two ministers exchanged views and proposed some initiatives for a “possible” ceasefire.