A visit by a senior Hamas delegation to Iran has strengthened ties between the two sides for the first time in eight years, since the deterioration of relations due to a dispute over the Syrian crisis.
Sources from the movement told Asharq Al-Awsat that the relationship with Iran was restored few years ago, but remained tense and went through unstable stages before being strongly boosted in the recent period.
The sources revealed that the Hamas delegation has secretly met with the leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to discuss the movement’s military and financial capabilities.
“The meeting discussed a joint coordination mechanism and the appointment of a leader from the movement who will be responsible for the direct and immediate communication,” the sources said.
The IRGC officials expressed their readiness to return to host members of Al-Qassam brigade – Hamas’ military wing - to gain new military expertise, stressing at the same time that the financial support for Hamas and its factions would increase and that economic pressure on Iran would not prevent it from supporting the “Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni resistance.”
According to the source, the movement was open to the normalization of relations with Syria, but despite an Iranian mediation, there seems to be reservations from the Damascus side.
Relations with Syria deteriorated after the Syrian revolution in 2011 and the departure of Hamas leaders from Damascus.
Iran’s spiritual leader’s adviser Kamal Kharazi met on Monday with the Hamas delegation, presided by the deputy head of the movement’s political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri. He stressed following the meeting that Iran’s relations with Hamas were “important and growing”.
