Hamas maintains strong relations with Iran: Haniyeh
Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says the Palestinian resistance movement maintains the strongest relations with Iran, underlining that the ties between the two sides are rooted in history.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arabic-language al-Aqsa TV in Gaza City on Monday, Haniyeh lauded Iran’s long and unswerving support for the resistance movement, saying Hamas seeks to further improve its ties with the Islamic Republic.
He added that the issues at the center of Hamas-Iran relations are the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian anti-Israel front and the liberation of the al-Quds (Jerusalem).
“We need strategic deepening (of relations). Hamas is pursuing close ties with all Arab and Muslim countries that support the rights of the Palestinian nation,” Haniyeh stated.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed on December 27 that Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Meshaal is expected to visit Iran in the near future, without specifying an exact date.
Iran and Hamas have strengthened ties, especially after a recent visit of a Hamas delegation to the Iranian capital.
On December 17, a senior Hamas member said the Palestinian resistance movement seeks stronger ties with the Islamic Republic.
“In order to confront the challenges and big threats facing Palestine, we seek assistance and consolidation of ties with Arab and Islamic countries, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Mahmoud al-Zahar, a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip.
