Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 10
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas's political bureau, is scheduled to visit Tehran in the near future, Osama Hamdan, the Palestinian group spokesman for international relations said, Iran's ISNA news agency reported Dec. 10.
A high-ranking Hamas delegation headed by Mohammed Nasr, member of the political bureau of Hamas arrived in Iran on Dec. 8 to discuss boosting bilateral relations.
Hamdan, who is one member of the visiting delegation, said that the recent developments concerning the Palestine issue would be discussed with Iranian officials. He called the Meshaal's scheduled visit "ordinary," adding "he has also traveled to Tehran previously and has good relations with the Islamic Republic."
Ties between Iran and the Palestinian Hamas group suffered problems during the ongoing civil war in the Syria over the group's support of rebels battling Iran-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Iran, which had for years supplied Hamas with cash and arms, was infuriated by what it saw as a betrayal of its close friend, Assad, and drastically scaled back its support. Tehran's Shiite partner, Hezbollah, also voiced its fierce disapproval.
The Palestinian group has started efforts to repair damaged ties with its traditional Middle East allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah party.
Last May Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with Meshaal in Qatari capital city of Doha and discussed the regional developments including the Syrian crisis. During this meeting, Mashaal welcomed the position of Tehran towards Syria , stressing the political solution for the crisis.
"We will never forget Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 's support for the Palestinian nation," Meshaal said.