The United States has collected specific intelligence suggesting that top Iranian officials were caught by surprise by Hamas’ massive attack on Israel Saturday, multiple sources told CNN Wednesday.
Israel has long accused Iran’s clerical rulers of stoking violence by supplying arms to Hamas. Iran has, according to analysts, provided Hamas with tens of millions of dollars, weapons and other materials smuggled into Gaza. However, Tehran reportedly doesn’t have advisers on the ground in blockaded Gaza, nor does it command the terrorist organization’s activities.
On Monday, U.S. officials had said Iran was complicit in Hamas’ assault on Israel, but both U.S. and Israeli officials conceded they were still seeking a smoking gun to link Iran to direct involvement in Hamas’ attack.
According to CNN sources, the latest intelligence, which has been briefed to Congressional lawmakers, has led U.S. analysts to lean toward the assessment that the government of Iran did not play a direct role in the attack.
On Tuesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted that his government was not involved in the attack, though he did laud what he called Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence defeat.
CNN’s sources did not disclose details about the nature of the intelligence, which one source said was extremely sensitive.
Following their briefing, some Congressional Republicans continued to point fingers at Iran.
“I know the Administration is woe to peg Iran as responsible, but I think that all roads lead to Iran,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX) told reporters following a briefing Wednesday. “We certainly don’t want to see this escalate, but Iran is already in this.”
