Hamas Member In Unusual Article: Iran And The Resistance Axis Sustained A Heavy Blow In The War; We Must Act To End The Hostilities In Gaza

Memri

a day ago

Following the announcement of the ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24, 2025, Ibrahim Al-Madhoun, a member of the national relations department of the Hamas movement abroad, published an unusual article in which he admitted that the unity of the resistance axis – led by Iran and encompassing Hamas, Hizbullah, the Houthis and other Shi'ite militias in the region – has been severely damaged. Madhoun called on Hamas to take "courageous decisions" and advance political measures to put an end to the war in Gaza.
In the article, which was posted on Al-Madhoun's social media accounts and on Palestinian and Arab news sites, he tried to outline the power-balances after the Israel-Iran war. In contrast to the Iranian narrative about an absolute victory for Iran, he wrote that Israel had dealt "a severe and significant blow to Iran's nuclear program, which will delay it for decades," and called this an important strategic achievement for Israel. At the same time, he argued that Israel had failed to achieve an absolute victory, because it too sustained severe damage and because Iran was not "directly defeated." He assessed that the Iranian regime will survive and will not give up its nuclear program, but will instead gain strength in preparation for the next confrontation. Moreover, it will "launch a stronger regional Iranian initiative" instead of the resistance axis, "albeit in a different style and through milder and more flexible means."
Al-Madhoun added that the U.S. was the biggest winner in this war, since it managed to curb the ambitions of both sides and to prevent the war from escalating and spreading to other fronts.
Ibrahim Al-Madhoun (Image: Raialyoum.com)
The following are translated excerpts from Al-Madhoun's article:
"If the war [indeed] stops now, in accordance with Trump's vision, Iran may not be at its best, but it will emerge [from the war] without having been directly defeated, and then there will be no possibility of pronouncing an absolute loser or winner. Iran will continue to maintain its regime and will refuse to halt its nuclear program. I fact, it will work to rehabilitate itself, address its security vulnerabilities and rebuild its defense infrastructure. [Moreover,] this confrontation will provide it with experience and resilience in any future conflict, and the world will see it as a country that managed to stand firm against Israel and the U.S…, which will open new horizons for strengthening its international relations, especially with China and Russia.
'At the same time, Iran will pay a political and military price [for this war], and will not be able to restore the former unity of the 'resistance axis.' It will be forced to rearrange its priorities and revise its policies, yet it will have a real opportunity to launch a stronger regional Iranian initiative [instead of the resistance axis], albeit in a different style and through milder and more flexible means.
"As for Israel, it did not achieve a complete victory, but it did deal a severe and significant blow to Iran's nuclear program, which will delay it for decades. This is an extremely important strategic achievement. Due to this blow, Iran will be preoccupied for decades with rebuilding [its nuclear program], while the Israeli sword will remain hanging over its head, in full coordination with Washington. But Israel, [too], did not emerge from this confrontation without losses. It sustained blows unlike any it had experienced before, and the missiles reached deep into its territory. Moreover, it will no longer be able to impose new equations on the Middle East as it wishes. On the contrary, following this confrontation, it may enter a phase of being constrained [by the U.S.].
"At present, it appears that the U.S. is the biggest winner of this campaign, for it managed to contain Iran and force it to rethink its considerations without needing to topple its regime. It also sent a clear message to Israel, that the ceiling of its ambitions is determined by Washington and must not be exceeded. Additionally, it maintained the stability of the Gulf and prevented the eruption of additional fronts that would have complicated the regional scene.
"As for Gaza, it is the most complex element in this scene... Now that this war [between Iran and Israel] has ended, there will be a real opportunity to end the aggression against Gaza… This is where the responsibility of the Palestinian political leadership and the [Palestinian] factions comes in. The time has come for [national] unity... and for [everyone] to come together under one roof: Fatah, Hamas, [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP], and all the national factions. We need deep and realistic political thinking in order to leverage Iran's position – especially in light of its continued steadfastness [in the face of Israel and the U.S.] – and strengthen our ties with our Arab and Islamic depth. We need a wise political initiative that preserves our principles, saves our people from the current massacre [in Gaza], and opens a new horizon for reorganizing our internal affairs, with the participation of all. This moment demands courageous decisions and thinking outside the traditional box, in order to create a real opportunity to protect Palestinian lives, safeguard the [national] cause and give it renewed hope."[1]