Iranian Newspaper Calls Hamas’s Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Costly Mistake’

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a stunning and unprecedented public rebuke that signals a deep and potentially significant crack in the facade of the "Axis of Resistance," a prominent and historically influential Iranian newspaper has declared that the Hamas-led "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation of October 7, 2023, was a "costly mistake" and a "definite mistake from the beginning" that has wasted decades of effort and brought nothing but devastation to the region.

The scathing assessment, published in a detailed editorial by the Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper on Sunday, argues that the two-year war sparked by the attack has produced no winners, but has instead inflicted catastrophic losses on not only the Palestinians but also on Iran and its key allies in Lebanon and Yemen, all while failing to achieve its stated goals.

This extraordinary critique, coming from within the heart of the Iranian establishment as a fragile ceasefire takes hold in Gaza, represents a dramatic departure from the official narrative of heroic resistance and raises profound questions about the true cost of the conflict for all involved.

"The reality is that, contrary to many analyses and opinions, the Al-Aqsa Storm operation was a mistake," the editorial in Jomhouri-e Eslami began, mincing no words. "We held this belief from the very first moments of receiving the news of this operation, and now that more than two years have passed since it was carried out, we are even more steadfast in our belief."

The newspaper, which has a long history and is known for reflecting the views of a more pragmatic and traditional segment of the Iranian political elite, then posed a central and damning question: "Did this storm have a winner?"

To answer this question, the editorial embarked on a comprehensive and grim accounting of the conflict's devastating consequences, not just for Hamas and Israel, but for the entire regional alliance that was drawn into its vortex.

The newspaper argued that to find a realistic answer, "we must accept that the war in Gaza... in addition to Hamas and the Zionist regime, Lebanon, Syria, and to some extent Iran, were also involved in its consequences."

The first and most catastrophic loss, the newspaper stated, was the near-total obliteration of Gaza itself.

"The destruction of Gaza, which is about 80 percent, and the destruction of all its infrastructure is a great loss," the editorial detailed, noting that this has "resulted in the death and injury of 48,000 men and women, children and adults, and about 200,000 people have been left homeless."

Beyond the devastation in Palestine, the editorial pointed to a series of strategic setbacks for Iran and its allies. It lamented the "exit of Syria from the front of the anti-Zionist resistance and its subsequent swallowing by America and Israel" as "another of the most bitter consequences of this war."

It also highlighted the immense price paid by Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the martyrdom of 2,000 people, including its revered leader, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, is seen as a "direct consequence of the war."

 The editorial painted a bleak picture of the future of Lebanon, suggesting that the "coming to power of another American-affiliated agent" is now likely and that the "hand of the Zionist regime is open for any action in this country in the future."

The newspaper also turned its critical gaze inward, acknowledging the heavy toll the conflict has taken on Iran itself. It spoke of "divine accusations brought against us, which have financial and material consequences in addition to the consequences of the Gaza war, have put us on the brink."

This appears to be a veiled reference to the international sanctions and diplomatic isolation that have been intensified by Iran's role in the conflict.

More directly, the editorial pointed to the "imposed 12-day war" that Israel and the United States waged on Iran, a conflict in which "1100 of our compatriots, including military and civilian commanders and scientists, were martyyred, which was a great loss." It also explicitly mentioned the "bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities" as one of the "devastating consequences of this war." The losses inflicted on Ansar Allah in Yemen were also included in this grim ledger.

Having laid out this catastrophic balance sheet, the editorial then turned to the stated goals of the Al-Aqsa Storm operation. It noted that the "Zionist regime, with two years of massacres in Gaza and all kinds of crimes... could not announce its goals as the defeat of Hamas and the release of Israeli prisoners."

However, the editorial pointedly observed that now, "These two goals are now in agreement with Israel," a cutting remark suggesting that the final outcome of the ceasefire—the survival of a disarmed Hamas and the release of prisoners—is a far cry from the grand revolutionary ambitions that launched the war.

The newspaper did acknowledge that Israel has been "condemned in the court of public opinion around the world" and that its leaders are being prosecuted in international courts, but this was presented as a small consolation in the face of overwhelming strategic losses.

This scathing critique from within Iran comes as the region is taking the first tentative steps toward implementing the landmark ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

As previously reported by Kurdistan24, the first phase of this agreement is set to begin on Monday morning, with Hamas scheduled to release the 20 Israeli hostages who are believed to still be alive in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who are serving life sentences.

This exchange is the precursor to a major international peace summit set to be held on Monday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The summit, which will be co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will be attended by more than 20 world leaders and is aimed at "ending the war in Gaza, achieving regional stability, and ushering in a new era of peace," according to the Egyptian presidency.

While there is a palpable sense of cautious optimism in the international community, the path forward is fraught with immense challenges.

The next phase of President Trump's peace plan, which calls for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and their replacement by a multinational force, alongside the complete disarmament of Hamas, contains "many complexities," as Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran has acknowledged. Another Hamas official has already insisted that disarmament is "out of the question."

As U.S. officials, including President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner, visited the ruins of Gaza on Saturday, the human cost of the conflict that Jomhouri-e Eslami has now labeled a "mistake" was on stark display.

More than half a million displaced residents had reportedly returned to Gaza City, many finding their homes and neighborhoods reduced to rubble. "I stood before it and cried," one resident, Raja Salmi, told AFP upon discovering her destroyed home. "All those memories are now just dust."

The editorial in Jomhouri-e Eslami, with its stark and unflinching assessment of the past two years, concludes that "a winner for the events of the past two years cannot be introduced."

In a final, ominous note, it predicted that the United States and Israel, having seen their own plans thwarted, would likely "prevent the achievement of a full ceasefire." This deeply pessimistic and critical analysis, emerging from a significant voice within the Iranian establishment, provides a rare and sobering glimpse into the deep and perhaps growing disillusionment with a conflict that, in the newspaper's view, has brought nothing but loss, devastation, and strategic defeat.