New Delhi: Iranian envoy to India on Friday denied any role of Tehran in the coordinated surprise attack of militant group Hamas on Israel. In an email interview to news agency ANI, Iran envoy to India Iraj Elahi said the country was not involved in the planning or execution of the assault and said Hamas was an “independent player”.
"Western media tries to deny the independent power of Hamas by attributing recent developments to Iran’s support. However, in truth, the strength of Hamas stands as an undeniable fact, and it remains an independent player that can steer the course of events on its own. As the Supreme Leader has stated, Hamas executed this operation without the assistance of Iran,” Elahi told ANI.
“Nonetheless, Iran will always support the Palestinian cause and the legitimate resistance of the Palestinians, consistently condemning the ruthless violence and occupation by the Zionists,” he added.
“The Zionists act as if Palestinians are not human, suggesting that no one should care about their ceaseless suffering. This behavior illustrates the sheer brutality Palestinians endure. Regrettably, their voices and demands continue to be overshadowed in the media. No one dares to question why they should be deprived of basic human necessities like water, power, medicine, and other essential needs. The vast majority of the media deliberately ignores the truth, turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the voices and faces of Palestinians whose only fault is being born in Palestine,” Elahi said.
On allegations that Iran is one of Hamas’ biggest benefactors, helping it with funds, weapons and training, the Iranian envoy to India said, “The Palestinians have independently embraced the path of truth, and they have become an inspiration for everyone resisting oppression. We admire the Palestinians; our hearts are with them and we support their legitimate resistance against the apartheid regime.”
Claiming that “Zionist extremism” is at the core of instability in West Asia, he said, “As long as the basic rights of Palestinians are denied, no external solution can achieve stability. In other words, any plan that doesn’t address the root causes of the conflict is destined to fail. The wounds of Palestine continue to bleed, affecting the entirety of West Asia. I believe that stability is unattainable without recognizing the rights of Palestinians. External solutions proposed by outsiders may only destabilize the region and worsen the overall situation.”
Elahi’s statement comes a few days after Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied his country’s role in the Hamas attack.
“The supporters of the Zionist regime and some people in the usurping regime have been spreading rumours over the past two or three days, including that Islamic Iran was behind this action. They are wrong,” he said, as quoted by news agency AFP.
He added that Iran supports Palestine and urged the "the whole Islamic world to support the Palestinians."