A senior Iranian official admitted on Monday that Tehran provided Hamas with missile technology so that the latter can defend themselves and fight off Israel's attacks.

Officials of Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously said that Hamas built their Fajr-5 missile using technology that Tehran itself provided, the Associated Press reported. The aim of the transfer of technology was to allow Hamas to produce its own weapons locally without the need for a shipment, said Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council.

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In the recent clash in the Gaza Strip, Hamas launched over 3,200 rockets into Israel, whose Iron Dome defense system intercepted hundreds of those rockets. Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza on July 8, Israel lost 67 people and Gaza suffered a death toll of over 1,880, the Times of Israel detailed.

This week, Rezaei wrote a letter to President Hassan Rouhani requesting him to give Hamas air defense systems to target Israeli planes that invade their airspace. He also urged Hamas to dig tunnels that Gazans could use as shelter from Israeli attacks.

Rezaei, an ex-Revolutionary Guard commander, added that Iran was not ashamed of publicly announcing its support for the militant group. He then encouraged Hamas to take Israeli soldiers and use them to bargain with Israel in future conflicts.

The Iranian official said Israel failed in disarming Hamas and destroying its rocket technology even though it destroyed some of their underground tunnels. The facilities for producing the weapons are still intact, Rezaei said.

Last week, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei encouraged Muslims all over the world to help provide weapons to Gaza and the West Bank so that they could defend themselves from Israeli offensives.

Iran, a supporter of Hamas, backs militant groups that are against Israel such as the Shiite Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Palestinian Hamas.

TagsIran, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Israeli, Hamas, Revolutionary Guards, Fajr-5, Associated Press, Gaza Strip, Hassan Rouhani, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Muslims, Palestinian Hamas, Lebanon, Shiite Hezbollah