Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi said on Wednesday that no new order will take hold in the region until the rights of the Palestinian people are upheld. He made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Raeisi praised Hamas for its resistance against Israel and said that Iran will continue to support the Palestinian cause. He also criticized some Arab countries for normalizing ties with Israel and said that they have betrayed the Islamic world.
Haniyeh thanked Iran for its political and financial backing and said that Hamas will not compromise on the core issues of Jerusalem, refugees, and prisoners. He also expressed his solidarity with Iran in the face of US sanctions and pressure.
The meeting came amid rising tensions in the region after Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza last week, killing at least 11 Palestinians, including nine children. Israel said it was responding to rocket fire from Hamas and other militant groups. The UN has called for an end to the violence and urged both sides to respect international humanitarian law.