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Report: Iranian Commander’s Meeting with Hamas Leader Spurred Growing Ties

by TheTower.org Staff |

Shortly after the conclusion of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge this past August, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Turkey, Ynet reported today.

Khaled Mashal, the head of the Hamas political bureau, met with Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani several days after the end of Operation Protective Edge, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reported on Tuesday.

The covert meeting between the two was reportedly held in Turkey, with Mashal meeting Soleimani only after receiving authorization from the other members of the Hamas political bureau. …

Soleimani, who was one of the Iranian leaders to show understanding to Hamas’ position on the Syrian civil war, congratulated Mashal for the renewal of ties between Tehran and the Islamist movement. The two discussed the Syria crisis and agreed Hamas would continue presenting the same position it has been holding since the beginning of the conflict.

A delegation of Hamas officials later traveled to Iran to discuss “several issues with the Tehran regime, including the situation in Gaza and the fact donation funds to rebuild the Strip have yet to arrive.” The delegation reportedly expressed concerns about the rise in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Gaza, while Iran remained “convinced Hamas is the strongest and more efficient resistance power in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.”

Hamas’ ties with Iran were strained by the terrorist organization’s support for Sunni rebels opposed to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which is heavily supported by Tehran. In December 2013, after suffering a number of political setbacks, Hamas announced that it had rekindled ties with Iran. The increased cooperation between terrorist organization and its Iranian sponsor was evident when Israel intercepted the Klos C, a ship bearing weapons, including rockets and M-302 missiles, in the Red Sea. The Klos C was headed to Gaza from Iran. A secret United Nations report last summer identified Iran as a major source of Hamas’ arsenal in Gaza.

Even when ties between Iran and Hamas were reported to be poor, Iran was still helping arm Hamas against Israel.

[Photo: The Israel Project / Flickr ]

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