Behind the Scenes of the First Hours After October 7: What Did Khamenei Order His Leaders in 'Closed Rooms'?

Iran announced its support for what it described as "the legitimate defense of the Palestinian people" from the first hours of the October 7, 2023 attacks, while denying any direct participation in planning or executing the operation.

Details of what transpired inside the closed rooms of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following the attack reveal more cautious calculations; he insisted on supporting Hamas politically and media-wise but refused to bear the consequences of direct engagement in the war alongside them.

An Iranian source familiar with the behind-the-scenes stance of Tehran told "Erem News" that his country was keen since the beginning of the confrontation to establish a narrative of non-participation in planning the attack, while praising it immediately upon its occurrence as a turning point in the confrontation with Israel.

The source added that directives were issued to organize celebratory displays in the streets, and large banners were erected within hours of the attack.

The source clarified that the fundamental paradox in Iran's position lay in separating political welcome of the attack from readiness to bear its military cost, confirming that the Iranian leadership was not prepared to enter a direct war for the sake of Hamas, despite years of financial, military, and political support provided to the movement.

He added that Tehran dealt with the developments of the war based on a strategy aimed at preserving its geopolitical interests, keeping the confrontation within a controllable framework, and leveraging the network of allies and armed groups in the region, rather than having Iran itself move into an open confrontation with Israel and the United States.

Khamenei Informed Haniyeh of Limits of Iranian Support
According to information obtained by the source, a meeting held in Tehran between former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and then-Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh saw the latter clearly informed that Iran would not enter the war on behalf of the movement.

The source indicated that Khamenei based his position on the fact that Hamas did not inform the Iranian leadership in advance of the decision to execute the October 7 attack, and therefore Tehran does not see itself obligated to enter a direct military confrontation due to a decision taken independently by the movement.

According to the source, Khamenei limited Iran's role to providing political and media support to Hamas, emphasizing the need to silence voices calling for Iran or Hezbollah to enter as a direct party in the war, in an attempt to keep the level of escalation within limits that do not lead to a comprehensive regional confrontation.

This reflects, according to the source, that Tehran's calculations after October 7 were not entirely identical to those of Hamas's military wing, which relied on the possibility of widening the confrontation and regional parties joining the war.

Communications Preceded the Attack
These details connect with reports by the American newspaper "The New York Times" regarding communications preceding the October 7 attack, where the paper noted that Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya discussed the attack plan with Mohammad Saeed Izadi, an official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, during July 2023.

According to the report, the position conveyed by the Iranian side in those communications indicated that Iran and Hezbollah welcomed the plan in principle, with a need for more time to prepare suitable conditions.

This does not necessarily mean that Tehran participated directly in making the execution decision or in military operations, but it indicates the existence of communications between Hamas leaders and Iranian officials before the attack, which adds complexity to the Iranian narrative that denied prior knowledge of the operation.

Iran Saw Hamas as an Ally, Not a Partner in War
The Iranian source believes that developments after October 7 clearly revealed the limits of the relationship between Tehran and Hamas, explaining that the Iranian regime deals with the movement as an ally that can be relied upon within the regional influence network, but does not consider it a partner that imposes on Iran fighting a direct war to defend it.

He says this perception became more apparent after the outbreak of the war, when the Iranian leadership chose not to transition from indirect political and military support to direct participation, despite rising calls within Hamas circles and its allies to expand the scope of the confrontation.

He added that Iranian calculations were also linked to the internal situation, as the country faced economic and social crises and political pressures, and entering a wide-scale war did not enjoy, according to his assessment, domestic acceptance allowing the regime to bear its cost.

Hamas Calculations Collided with Iranian Position
According to the source, Hamas miscalculated the scale of the Israeli reaction, and it did not have actual guarantees that Iran and Hezbollah would move to direct confrontation once the war broke out.

He points out that the movement bet that the attack would open multiple fronts or push regional parties to intervene militarily, but Iran chose from the start to maintain distance from direct war, while Hezbollah's participation was limited to the Lebanon front under its own calculations.

He adds that this situation placed Hamas before a reality different from the calculations preceding the attack, after the confrontation turned into a wide-scale war on the Gaza Strip, while Iranian support remained within a framework that does not rise to direct entry into the conflict.

"Erem News"