Iran Plans Multi-Front Attack on Israel: Israeli Intelligence

Darwin, September 07: Iran is preparing for a major, multi-front attack against Israel, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment.

The report says Iran is seeking to involve not only its own forces but also Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Gaza-based Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq in the same operation.

The Jerusalem Post published the report.

According to the Israeli assessment, Tehran is planning a coordinated attack designed to put simultaneous pressure on Israel from multiple fronts.

Through this approach, Iran reportedly seeks to avoid the lack of coordination seen during the October 7, 2023 attack.

Although Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah and other fronts did not begin full-scale attacks at the same time.

According to U.S. and Israeli assessments that have been made public, Iran and Hezbollah were not fully informed in advance about the final planning and exact timing of the attack. However, following the attack, Hezbollah began launching attacks against northern Israel.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had hoped that the initial success of the assault would draw Iran and Hezbollah into a broader regional conflict. Recent reports in Israeli and Arab media suggest that Tehran is now attempting to address that shortcoming.

Under the potential plan, multiple fronts would reportedly be integrated into the same operation from the outset.

The change in Hamas’s leadership is also considered significant in this regard. In July, Khalil al-Hayya was elected as Hamas’s overall leader. He supports maintaining close ties with Iran and has long played an important role in the organization’s communications with Tehran.

The report further states that Iran is once again seeking to strengthen coordination among allied groups known collectively as the “Axis of Resistance.”

A report published last month claimed that, with Iranian assistance, Hamas and Hezbollah had also begun coordinating more closely to increase their activities in recent weeks.

In addition, various reports have claimed that senior Quds Force officials held discussions with commanders of Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-aligned militias in Iraq about expanding the conflict. Iranian advisers have also reportedly worked with these groups on the ground.

At the same time, the report notes that Iran has been trying to rebuild its military capabilities damaged in recent wars and increase the production of missiles and drones.

According to the Israeli assessment, following attacks on Hezbollah and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthis have become more important within the Iran-aligned alliance.

The report says joint military exercises, communications, and personal relationships among these groups have increased. At the same time, coordination in political and military decision-making is also reportedly growing.

As a result, compared with the situation before October 7, the regional structure of the Iran-aligned alliance has changed considerably. According to the Israeli assessment, groups in Iraq and Yemen now play a more important role in the alliance’s activities than they did previously.

Source: The Jerusalem Post