David Friedman, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told Newsmax on Wednesday that "Iran is the head of the snake" when it comes to terrorism against Israel.
Joining "Greg Kelly Reports," Friedman accused the mullahs of financial backing and orchestrating the deadly terrorist incursions by Hamas and Hezbollah into Israel over the weekend.
"I don't 'suspect.' I know. I know that Iran had its fingerprints on this," Friedman said. "They managed; they planned; they orchestrated; they funded; they executed; they approved all of this. I mean, Iran is the head of the snake within the Middle East, and there's no question that they were all over this."
Friedman's comments agree with a report by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that cited senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah as confirming Iran's involvement. Tehran has, thus far, denied the claims.
The former U.S. official slammed the Biden administration for appeasing Iran over its tenure, noting that it was "a much richer, more powerful nation than it was three years ago."
"They're selling almost 10 times as much oil in 2022 as they did in 2020," adding that the $6 billion payment in September to free U.S. hostages in Iran "doesn't matter. They've got plenty of other money in other pockets."
Iran is "using that money for ballistic missiles, nuclear enrichment, and funding the malign activity of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist groups," he added.
Israeli officials estimate that over 1,200 individuals have been killed in their territory since the conflict erupted Saturday, including 22 Americans.
Another 3,400 individuals in Israel were wounded, and over 200 have been taken hostage.
Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities believe more than 1,100 have been killed in their territories. Around 5,400 were wounded, and the United Nations reported over 263,000 displaced.
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Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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