Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran not behind Hamas attack on Israel

Iran’s top authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran had not been involved in the Hamas group’s weekend attack on Israel, but he hailed what he called Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence defeat.

In his first televised speech since the attack, Khamenei said “we kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime.”

“This destructive earthquake has destroyed some critical structures (in Israel) which will not be repaired easily … The Zionist regime’s own actions are to blame for this disaster,” said Khamenei.

Iran has long backed the Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip and rejects Israel’s right to exist.

Israel said earlier on Tuesday it had re-established control over the Gaza border and was planting mines where militants had toppled the barrier during their bloody weekend assault after another night of relentless Israeli air raids on the enclave.

The United States said on Monday Iran was complicit in Hamas’ assault on Israel, though it said it had no intelligence or evidence pointing to Tehran’s direct participation.