The United States has intelligence indicating that senior Iranian officials were surprised by the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel, according to several American officials familiar with the matter. This tentatively suggests that Tehran was not directly involved in launching the deadly October 7 attack.
While analysis and collection continues and additional information may emerge that contradicts initial assessments, officials briefed on the intelligence say key Iranian officials who would normally be aware of operations in the region appear to be unaware of the attacks knew.
Officials declined to provide further details about the identities of the Iranian officials or the type of intelligence gathered. US lawmakers were briefed on the situation in Israel and the possible involvement of Iran in a secret setting by several authorities on Wednesday morning. Senior US intelligence official Morgan Muir also briefed a smaller group on Tuesday. The New York Times initially reported that the US had information that the Hamas attack surprised senior Iranian officials.
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Government officials have said since the attacks began that Iran has long supported Hamas with material, financial and logistical support, but that to date no evidence has been found to support the attacks, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and injured thousands more , could be linked to Tehran.
“[W]We have said from the beginning that Iran is complicit in this attack in the broadest sense, because it has provided the lion’s share of funding for Hamas’s military wing, provided training, provided capabilities and provided support. “They have been in contact with them for many years Hamas,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday.
“We will be looking at more information in the coming weeks and days to inform our thinking on this issue, including whether there were at least some in the Iranian system who either had a clear idea of what was coming, or even “contributed to aspects of the planning,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a news conference Tuesday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to Israel on Wednesday for meetings with senior Israeli officials and as a show of solidarity and support.
The ministry confirmed Wednesday that the number of American citizens killed in Israel had risen to 22 and the whereabouts of 17 citizens remained unknown. Some of those people may have been taken hostage by Hamas, officials said.
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