Can this be right? The world’s leading funder of terrorism didn’t know that one of the terrorist groups they support was planning a massive attack on Israel? That’s what US intelligence agencies are saying today. In fact they are claiming the intel to support this idea is “exquisite.”

American spy agencies have obtained “exquisite” intelligence that shows Iranian leaders were surprised by Hamas’ attack on Israel last Saturday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. A second source described the intelligence as “good evidence.”

The intelligence has prompted U.S. officials to question whether officials in Tehran had a direct role in approving or planning the deadly assault. The sources said that the Biden administration has not reached a definitive conclusions about whether Iran had any direct role in the attack in part due to that intelligence reporting, the sources told NBC News.

The sources did not name the Iranian officials who were surprised by the Hamas operation. But the officials were high enough that they would usually be informed about Tehran’s support for Iran’s proxies before an attack.

So we’re pretty certain that someone pretty far up the chain of command in Iran was surprised. Intel agencies haven’t reached a final assessment yet but they are said to be leaning toward the idea that Iran was surprised.

the sources said that this intelligence – which has been briefed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill – has led US analysts to lean toward an initial assessment that the government of Iran did not play a direct role in the attack…

Later on Wednesday, National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Max that the US has no intelligence to suggest Iran was “pre-aware or were involved in any of the planning, resourcing or even directing of the operation.”

Another source familiar with the intelligence told Sciutto that Iran was caught by surprise by the timing of the attack…

And speaking of that briefing to lamakers, the NY Times reports they were told there was no clear link back to Iran.

Morgan Muir, a senior U.S. intelligence official, told members of Congress in a briefing on Tuesday that there was no direct link between Iran and the Hamas attack, U.S. officials said. Mr. Muir provided few details but told lawmakers that U.S. agencies had intelligence contradicting assertions that Iran had helped plan the attack.

But Israeli intelligence is less hesitant:

A senior Israeli official who has been briefed on Israeli intelligence, told CNN’s Matthew Chance Wednesday that Iran, which has provided longstanding funding and training to Hamas militants, may not have known about the exact timing of the raids from Gaza, but was certainly “aware of the Hamas operation before it happened.”

Even if Iran didn’t know the exact day or plan of this attack they are still a major supporter of Hamas and certainly knew, in general, that Hamas is always planning attacks on Israel.

Jonathan Finer, the White House’s deputy national security adviser, said in an interview with CBS News: “What I can say without a doubt is that Iran is broadly complicit in these attacks. Iran has been Hamas’s primary backer for decades. They have provided them weapons. They have provided them training. They have provided them financial support. And so, in terms of broad complicity, we are very clear about a role for Iran.”

Iran denied a direct role in Saturday’s attack, while also praising the Hamas militants who carried it out. “We are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself,” Tehran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement released Monday. But other Iranian officials publicly celebrated the attack while highlighting their close relationship with Hamas.

It has only been a few days since the attack. Maybe the story will change over time. Or maybe Iran really didn’t have a direct hand in the planning of this attack. In any case, they clearly support it and are happy about it and they have a long history of supporting Hamas.