Iranian state media confirms meeting between Khamenei, Hamas’ Haniyeh in Teheran
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets Hamas's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Teheran.
PHOTO: REUTERS
DUBAI - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met the leader of Palestinian group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Teheran, state media reported on Sunday.
The announcement came a day after a Hamas official said they held a meeting in recent days.
Iranian state media said Haniyeh, who has resided between Qatar and Turkey since 2019, "briefed Khamenei on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza, as well as the developments in the West Bank".
The Islamic Republic says it supports Hamas but did not play any role in the militant group’s attack on Israel in October.
"Ayatollah Khamenei praised the steadfastness and resilience of the people of Gaza and expressed strong regret over the crimes of the Zionist regime, supported directly by Washington and some Western countries," Iran's state TV said.
Without elaborating when the meeting took place, Iran's Tasnim news agency said the country's top authority Khamenei "emphasised Teheran's consistent policy of supporting the Palestinian resistance forces against the Zionist occupiers".
Iran's clerical establishment has warned Israel, which it refuses to recognise, of "harsh consequences" if attacks continue on the Gaza Strip. REUTERS
