Iranian FM speaks with Hamas leader Haniyeh - analysis

Earlier this month, Amir-Abdollahian met with Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, where the Hamas leadership resides, and pledged cooperation with Hamas.

 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, in June. (photo credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, in June.
(photo credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/West Asia News Agency/Reuters)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh overnight on Monday, according to Iranian media.

During the call, which was announced by Hamas, they “discussed and exchanged opinions on the latest developments related to the continuous aggression of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip,” Tasnim News Agency reported, including “all the ways to stop the crimes committed by the enemy in Gaza.”

Earlier this month, Amir-Abdollahian met with Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, where the Hamas leadership resides, and pledged cooperation with Hamas.

Their conversation on Monday was important because it shows how Iran coordinates with Hamas. Nevertheless, the relatively short readout in Iranian media illustrates that Iran may be growing concerned about Hamas’s standing in Gaza.

US forces under attack

Iran has mobilized proxies in Iraq and Syria to attack US forces, and it has encouraged the Houthis in Yemen to join in the fighting. It has also encouraged Hezbollah to increase threats to northern Israel.

  Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, October 17, 2022 (credit: IRGC/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, October 17, 2022 (credit: IRGC/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)

Tehran realizes that this has not dragged Israel into fighting elsewhere, however, and it might be concerned that the Israeli juggernaut is now fully prepared for the next phase.