BICOM

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei yesterday said that Iran spares no opportunity supporting those who fight Israel, in what appears to be an uncompromising reaffirmation of support for regional terrorist groups.

Khamenei said via social media “We support resistance in Palestine and the region, and take all possible means to support anyone who fights Israel, is against the Zionist regime and supports resistance.” Using a Twitter hashtag, he declared, “We spare no opportunity to support anyone #FightingTheZionists.”

Last month Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) signed an agreement which will likely see international sanctions lifted in return for a slowdown in Iranian nuclear development over the next decade. Israel and other opponents of the deal, including Gulf states have expressed deep concern that ending sanctions will see Iran receive a financial windfall which it will then pass on to regional proxy terror groups, further destabilizing the Middle East.

Iran provides significant financial and material support to the likes of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in Gaza and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Tehran has also in the past backed Hamas. Earlier this month, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif met with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Zarif praised the Hezbollah as a “resistance movement” for having “restored dignity to Lebanon and the region.” Hezbollah is currently fighting in Syria alongside President Assad, a close Iranian ally. In addition, a Hezbollah operative was last month convicted in a Cyprus court for planning an attack on Israeli tourists on the island.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reports say that IDF Military Intelligence recently issued its assessment of the Iran nuclear deal. It includes a warning that the agreement could accelerate the nuclear plans of other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. The report also says that although the deal could restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions for the next 10 years, after that point Tehran will require just weeks to obtain nuclear armament capability.