Hamas leader makes unannounced visit to Iran

TEHRAN, Iran

The head of the Palestinian group Hamas’s political bureau made an unannounced visit to Iran and held talks with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, both sides confirmed Sunday.

Ismail Haniyeh and an accompanying delegation discussed developments in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and also presented a report, said the Iranian leader’s office.

Khamenei “reiterated his appreciation for the patience and perseverance of the steadfast people of Gaza and strongly deplored the crimes committed by the Zionist regime with the direct support of the United States and some Western countries,” said a statement posted on its official website.

“He also underlined the Islamic Republic of Iran's permanent policy of supporting the Palestinian resistance forces against the Zionist occupation,” the statement added.

In his meeting with Haniyeh, Khamenei further emphasized that “serious action” needs to be taken by Islamic countries and international organizations to end the Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Haniyeh’s surprise visit to Tehran came amid unabated Israeli attacks on the besieged coastal territory which have claimed the lives of 9,770 people, most of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

The news about Haniyeh’s visit and meeting with Iran’s leader was first revealed on Saturday by Osama Hamadan, the chief representative of Hamas in Lebanon and a member of the group’s politburo.

He said the visit came “a couple of days ago” in which Haniyeh “met and spoke with” Khamenei.

It was the second meeting between the two in five months. The Hamas leader visited Tehran in June and met with many senior Iranian officials, including the supreme leader.

In a speech last week, Khamenei called for a boycott of Israel and an end to the attacks in Gaza while lauding Hamas and blaming the US, France and the UK for “standing against the people of Gaza.”

Iran is seen as a key ally of Hamas, which even led to speculation last month about Tehran helping the Gaza-based group plan its surprise military operation on Oct. 7.

Iranian officials, however, have denied any role in the operation but extended support to it.

Meanwhile, in a phone call with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Saturday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Israel’s attacks in Gaza were the outcome of US arms supplies to it.

He defended Hamas, calling it a “legal, elected and legitimate government of Gaza.”