Tehran, Oct. 10, (dpa/GNA) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday rejected accusations that Tehran was involved in the unprecedented attack by hundreds of Hamas fighters on Israel.
“Supporters of the Zionist regime” had published nonsensical words, Khamenei said during an address in Tehran. “They are making a mistake” in attributing responsibility for the attacks to Iran, he said.
“Of course we support Palestine, Of course we defend the struggles,” the 84-year-old head of state said. “We kiss the forehead and the hands of the inventive and intelligent designers and the courageous Palestinian youth. We are proud of them,” he said.
The entire Islamic world was obliged to support the Palestinians, but the work was that of the Palestinians themselves, Khamenei said.
Reports in the Western media have repeatedly alleged that Iran was involved in planning the attacks. Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesman, told the broadcaster BBC over the weekend that the group had direct backing for the attack from Iran.
But US national security spokesman John Kirby told NBC news that while Iran had long supported Hamas, the United States had “no specific evidence” that it was involved in the attacks.
GNA