Iran’s Influence on the Israel-Hamas War
It’s been over a year since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. What began as a conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated into a regional war, drawing in Hezbollah from Lebanon and heightening tensions across the Middle East. A question that arises is how terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah have the resources to be at war with Israel for over a year. The war against Israel has proven to be extraordinarily costly, with advanced weaponry such as the Fateh-110 missile costing an estimated $50,000 to $100,000 per unit.
On top of terrorist organizations in the region being at war with Israel, there is a major anti-Israel response that has emerged across the world. The protests and encampments on college campuses are very costly as well.
When taking a deep dive to look at the dynamic in the region, Iran has a long history of supporting terrorist organizations. Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, Iran has been instrumental in funding several anti-Israel entities across the world.
Here is a detailed look at Iran’s support:
Hamas:
Iran has a long history of supporting Hamas. The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, rejects the notion of a two-state solution and believes that there should only be a Palestinian state. Iran’s support of Palestinians is framed as a broader struggle against Israel. So, it is no surprise that Iran has supported Hamas before and throughout the Israel-Hamas War. The U.S. Treasury Department estimates that Iran provides Hamas with over $100 million annually, supporting its military operations and infrastructure. Beyond infrastructure, Iran has helped Hamas militarily– The Wall Street Journal reported Iran helped Hamas plot the October 7th terrorist attack.
Hezbollah:
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia Islamist terrorist organization in Lebanon According to The State Department’s 2022 Country Reports on Terrorism, Iran provides Hezbollah with “most of its funding, training, weapons, and explosives, as well as political, diplomatic, monetary, and organizational aid.” Iran has continued to support Hezbollah by supplying them with weapons to help them with their military campaign against Israel. Since October 8th, Hezbollah has launched over 8,000 rockets at northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas.
Protests across the world:
Iran has played an instrumental role in swaying public opinion of Israel in the West. While it is unclear how much money various groups in the US receive, Iran has a long history of giving financial support to groups across the world. US intelligence officials have tried warning Americans about Iran’s strategy of taking advantage of anti-Israel protesters. Actors tied to the Iranian government have posed as activists on social media in efforts to help encourage protests.
The influence of the Iranian regime has been extremely powerful in the last year. Iran’s efforts have significantly influenced the Israel-Hamas war and shaped public opinion worldwide, including on college campuses where antisemitism has grown exponentially since October 7th, 2023.
Anna Jacoby
