Ibrahim Al Madoun, a senior level member of Hamas, claimed that Iran received a heavy blow in the war and that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back decades.
By Rachel Avraham
According to a recent report published by MEMRI, “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, Hizballah, 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.”
The MEMRI report continues, “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.”
However, he argued that “at the same time, 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.””
According to Al Madhoun, “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.”
He asserted, “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.”
However, he noted, “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.].”
According to the senior level Hamas member, “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.”
He concluded: “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. 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.”
Photo from Fars Media Corporation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#/media/File:2013_Izz_ad-Din_al-Qassam_Brigades_exercise_(8).jpg
