Israel takes out Iranian mastermind of Oct 7

Iranian media hailed Mohammad Reza Zahedi’s ‘strategic role in forming and strengthening the resistance front as well as in planning and executing the Al-Aqsa Storm.’

By Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine

The Biden administration insisted that Iran was not behind the Oct 7 attacks, but it was always unlikely that Hamas could have pulled off a precisely orchestrated operation that exploited technological vulnerabilities in Israel’s security.

Then earlier this week, Israel hit a building next to Iran’s diplomatic facility in Damascus where senior generals in Iran’s IRGC terrorist network were reportedly planning an assault.

One of those generals appears to have been the mastermind of Oct 7.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces (also known by its Persian acronym SHANA) hailed Mohammad Reza Zahedi’s “strategic role in forming and strengthening the resistance front as well as in planning and executing the Al-Aqsa Storm.”

Zahedi, along with his deputy and five other IRGC forces, were killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike against Iran’s consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus.

“Al Aqsa Storm” is the Hamas and terrorist term for the Oct 7 attacks.

SHANA praised Zahedi’s “great honors” in his “silent efforts” against Israel. “The supporters of Tel Aviv should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s harsh and regrettable response to this bloody crime is on its way and will affect the future equations of the region, God willing,” added the statement.

SHANA is headed by former Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a figure close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The coalition’s secretary is Parviz Sorouri, the former IRGC commander.

How authoritative is this? It’s been reported by an official Iranian media outlet.

Mizan News Agency is identified as an official news outlet of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary system by Reuters, BBC, Iran International and numerous other sources.

Mizan has been the primary source for announcements related to judicial decisions, proceedings, and verdicts, as well as official statements in various analyses and reports about the Iranian media landscape.

The direct link between the news agency and the judiciary underscores the state-controlled nature of media outlets in Iran.

This is the closest that Iran has come to claiming responsibility for Oct 7, after multiple denials. But that’s not unusual for Islamic terrorists facing blowback. Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda initially denied responsibility for 9/11.

The preferred tactic of Islamic terrorists is to sneak up on you and stab you in the back, and then wail piteously and cry that they’re the victims when they get punched in the face.

The Biden administration was invested in denying Iran’s responsibility because it all goes back to its foreign policy of appeasing and bailing out the regime in Tehran.

Now as it’s all blowing up, it’s evading responsibility by blaming Israel.

IranIRGCMohammad Reza Zahedi