Is Iran's 'Ring of Fire' Strategy Heating Up?

Is Iran’s ‘Ring of Fire’ Strategy Heating Up?

TEHRAN, IRAN – OCTOBER 7: Iranians attend a gathering in Tehran to express their solidarity with Palestine after Hamas militants launched a deadly air, land and sea assault into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, in Tehran, Iran. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei voiced support for a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, calling it a “proud operation”. On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched the largest surprise attack from Gaza in a generation, sending thousands of missiles and an unknown number of fighters by land, who shot and kidnapped Israelis in communities near the Gaza border. The attack prompted retaliatory strikes on Gaza and a declaration of war by the Israeli prime minister. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Posted: October 23rd, 2023

By Hollie McKay

Hollie McKay is a writer, war crimes investigator, and the author of “Only Cry for the Living: Memos from Inside the ISIS Battlefield.” (Jocko Publishing/Di Angelo Publications 2021). She was an investigative and international affairs/war correspondent for Fox News Digital for over fourteen years, where she focused on war, terrorism, and crimes against humanity.

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – A second aid convoy arrived in Gaza as Israel continued striking targets in the region ahead of an expected ground operation in response to Hamas’s October 7 attacks that killed more than 1,200 people inside Israel with more than 200 people believed to have been taken hostage.

President Joe Biden is urging Israel to delay ground operations as diplomatic efforts continue in a push to allow aid to reach those who need it inside Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his calls for the release of all hostages on NBC’s Meet the Press. Hamas released two U.S. hostages on Sunday and said they are prepared to release two more. Blinken thanked the Government of Qatar for their help in securing the hostage’s release as 10 Americans remain missing.

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