How Hamas's attack on Israel could spark a wider Mideast war

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

57% : Iran's leadership has praised Hamas's operation and staged rallies in Tehran in support of it.
55% : Hamas [is] funded, equipped, armed by Iran and others.
47% : Hamas leaders have met Iranian leaders in recent weeks, both in Lebanon and Tehran, for meetings in which the surprise attack could have been planned.
43% : The Palestinian militant group and Iran have both voiced growing concern about accelerating negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, backed by the U.S., to normalize diplomatic relations between the historic foes.
41% : Iran and its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has spent decades arming and funding Hezbollah and Palestinian and Syrian militias in a maneuver that could effectively encircle Israel.
40% : "It's too early to say whether the state of Iran was directly involved or planning, supporting," said a senior administration official on Saturday.
37% : The View From The White HouseSenior Biden administration officials said this weekend that they're closely tracking Tehran's contacts with Hamas and Hezbollah and whether Iran essentially ordered the attack or was instrumental to its preparations.
37% : "Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached out to most of the Middle East's leaders over the weekend to try and guard against any countries trying to instigate more unrest in the Palestinian territories.
37% : This arsenal is seen as a valuable deterrent against Israel striking Iran directly, specifically to degrade its growing nuclear infrastructure.
36% : American and Israeli officials said Hamas's attack may have been specifically focused on derailing this diplomatic track by dragging Israel into war with the Palestinians.Israeli and American officials said this weekend that they're vetting past intelligence to see if Iran may have been operationally involved in planning the Saturday attack.
34% : And Israeli and U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that the conflict Hamas started risks expanding into a broader regional war, which could bring in Iran and its other proxies.
33% : Such an agreement would radically alter the power dynamic of the Middle East, and align Israel, the U.S. and most Arab states against Iran and its proxies.
33% : "Even if Iran didn't help plan the attack, current and former Israeli officials said they're worried Tehran's allies will come to Hamas's defense as the ground war into the Gaza Strip gains momentum.
33% : Hezbollah's entrance into the conflict now would likely significantly reduce this arsenal -- and might prompt Israeli attacks on Iran proper.
32% : A Hamas leader last week in Tehran specifically cited the threat posed by Israeli-Saudi normalization and the need for the Iranian axis to oppose it.

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