Iran Plotting Coordinated Multi-Front Attack on Israel, ‘October 7-Style’ Assault Feared: Report

Iran is reportedly working on plans for a coordinated, multi-front attack against Israel that could resemble the scale and structure of the October 7, 2023 assault, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing intelligence sources.

The October 7 attack, led by Hamas, killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel. Militants breached the Gaza-Israel border by land, air and sea, targeting military positions, communities and the Nova music festival.

According to the latest report, Tehran is seeking to bring together several groups aligned with it in a simultaneous campaign against Israel. The plan would reportedly involve Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq operating on multiple fronts at the same time.

Iran seeks to revive ‘Axis of Resistance’

Reports in Arab media cited by The Jerusalem Post suggest Tehran has been working to restore coordination among the various groups that make up its regional network.

The so-called “Axis of Resistance” is an informal Iran-led network of state and non-state actors that opposes Israel, the United States and other regional rivals.

The report also points to changes within Hamas as a potentially important factor. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya is described as having close ties with Iran, while Hamas and Hezbollah have reportedly increased coordination in recent weeks with Iranian support.

The Jerusalem Post, citing a published assessment by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), reported that the two groups have been working to increase their activities.

Although Israel’s confrontation with Iran has taken a lower profile in recent developments, Israeli forces continue to carry out military operations in Lebanon. Israel’s wider conflict with Hamas began after the October 2023 attack, while a ceasefire was later reached in Gaza. The truce has faced periodic violations, and Israeli forces continue to maintain a presence in parts of the territory.

Why October 7 is being cited

The reported similarities with October 7 are linked partly to documents that Israeli forces allegedly recovered from Hamas in Gaza following the 2023 attack.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the documents indicated that Yahya Sinwar, who was one of the principal architects of the October 7 assault, wanted to broaden the conflict by bringing additional regional fronts into the confrontation.

One purported planning document reportedly called for efforts to “connect and prepare the external fronts”, including Lebanon, Syria and Sinai.

However, the broader coordination envisioned in those documents did not materialise before October 7. US and Israeli assessments published after the attack have indicated that Iran and Hezbollah were not given advance knowledge of all operational details or the precise timing of the assault.

The latest claims therefore point to an Iranian effort to achieve the kind of multi-front coordination that was not fully in place before October 7, rather than confirming that a similar attack is imminent.