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Source: http://jcpa.org/article/iran-the-regional-power-behind-the-hamas-war-effort/
Iran: The Regional Power behind the Hamas War Effort
(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall - Iran is an arsonist, inflaming the conflicts in the Middle East. Since the "Pillar of Defense Operation" in 2012, Iran has been investing heavily in improving the quantity and quality of the rockets in the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad arsenals. Its endgame is to preserve its influence via its proxies and to use the Palestinian organizations as Iran's first defense line. The Iranian rockets include Grad, Fajr-3 and the longer-ranged Fajr-5, M-75, and M302 rockets which have reached the Haifa region. Iran also provided Hamas with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drone technology. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force coordinates the smuggling, shipping and delivery of the weapons to Gaza, the training in Iran and in Lebanon, and the transfer of funds. The longstanding disregard of Iran's export of revolution and terror has fostered a situation where Iran holds a threatening posture toward vital U.S. and Western interests. The writer is a senior analyst at the Jerusalem Center.