Iran Plotting New October 7-Style Attack Against Israel With Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and Iraqi Militias: Report

Iran is reportedly preparing for a broad, coordinated attack against Israel involving Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, according to Israeli intelligence assessments cited in reports. The alleged plan would seek to coordinate several fronts simultaneously, unlike the October 7, 2023 attack, when Hamas launched its assault without a fully coordinated regional offensive.

The reported preparations include efforts by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to rebuild its "Axis of Resistance", increase coordination among allied groups and replenish missile and drone capabilities. The reports, however, describe an alleged plan and do not establish that a coordinated attack has been ordered or that a specific date has been set. Abbas Araghchi Calls Benjamin Netanyahu ‘Serpent’, Accuses Him of Tricking Donald Trump Into Iran War.

Iran's Alleged Multi-Front Strategy Against Israel

According to the The Jerusalem Post, Tehran is seeking to combine its own capabilities with Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iraqi militias in a single campaign against Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported that IRGC officials have held planning meetings with leaders from Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias over a possible escalation against Israel.

The reported preparations also include joint training exercises involving Iran's regional allies and efforts to increase drone and missile production to restore capabilities depleted during conflicts involving Israel and the United States. Hezbollah and Hamas have also reportedly increased coordination, with the aim of putting pressure on Israel from multiple directions. US Military Member Won Over USD 1 Million on Polymarket Ahead of Iran, Venezuela Actions: Report.

How The Plan Differs From October 7

The October 7, 2023 attack was launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. According to published US and Israeli assessments cited in the reports, Iran and Hezbollah were not informed in advance of all the details of the operation or its precise timing.

Hezbollah opened fire from Lebanon after the Hamas attack, but did not launch a large-scale parallel ground offensive against Israel that same morning. The reported Iranian strategy now seeks to address that lack of coordination by having several fronts prepared to operate simultaneously from the beginning of a campaign.

Internal Hamas documents seized in Gaza after the attack indicated that Yahya Sinwar had sought to widen the confrontation and bring additional arenas into the conflict.

One of the planning documents stressed the need to "connect and prepare the external fronts," namely Lebanon, Syria and Sinai, as well as to agree in advance on communications mechanisms for both routine periods and wartime.

Yahya Sinwar's Wider Regional Ambition

Iran's reported strategy echoes an ambition associated with Hamas' former leader Yahya Sinwar, who had sought to expand the October 7 conflict beyond Gaza. The reports say Sinwar believed the initial Hamas attack could draw Hezbollah and Iran into a broader confrontation with Israel.

That wider regional response did not materialise in the form of a simultaneous ground offensive on October 7. Hezbollah instead began attacks from Lebanon, opening a separate front that continued during the subsequent conflict.

Hamas Leadership And Iran Ties

The change in Hamas' leadership is also significant in the context of the reported Iranian effort. Khalil al-Hayya, who was elected Hamas's overall leader in July, is considered to have good relations with Iran and has for years been one of the organization's central figures in maintaining ties with Tehran.

Al-Hayya, a member of Hamas's Gaza-based camp who was close to Sinwar, strengthens within the organization's leadership the faction seeking to preserve its close strategic relationship with Iran. The leadership shift could therefore reinforce Hamas' existing relationship with Tehran, although the extent of operational coordination remains difficult to independently verify.

Signs have also emerged of an Iranian effort to rebuild the "Axis of Resistance" and renew coordination mechanisms between the various fronts. A report published last month said the IDF had identified renewed coordination between Hamas and Hezbollah with Iranian assistance, as part of an effort to increase pressure on Israel simultaneously from the North and South.

According to a published IDF assessment, Hamas and Hezbollah had already begun coordinating an increase in their activities in recent weeks with Iranian assistance. Recent reports have also alleged that senior Quds Force officials held talks with commanders in Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias regarding an expansion of the confrontation.

Two senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that during an earlier period of calm, senior Quds Force officials held conference calls with commanders from the three fronts and that Iranian advisers also worked with them on the ground.

Missile And Drone Production

During the same period, reports also emerged of Iranian efforts to accelerate the production of missiles and drones and restore capabilities that had been damaged.

The reported rebuilding effort is aimed at restoring stockpiles and capabilities following military confrontations involving Iran and its regional network. The alleged preparations are part of a broader effort to strengthen the capabilities of groups aligned with Tehran across the Middle East.

Hezbollah, Houthis Gain Importance

The rebuilding effort comes as the balance of power within the axis is also shifting. According to assessments, the damage inflicted on Hezbollah and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria have increased the importance of the militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen.

At the same time, joint training exercises have been recorded, operational and personal ties have tightened, and coordination over political and military decisions among the components of the axis has increased. The Iranian axis is now operating in a regional reality different from the one that existed before October 7, with Iraq and Yemen playing a more central role.

What Israeli Intelligence Is Assessing

The reported intelligence assessments point to an Iranian effort to make coordination between its allied groups a central component of any future confrontation with Israel. Such a strategy would potentially allow attacks from Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and Iraq to be combined with Iranian military capabilities.

However, the reports currently describe preparations and assessments rather than a confirmed timetable for an attack. The extent to which the various groups would act in concert, and whether Iran could maintain operational control over them during a conflict, remains uncertain.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2026 11:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).