The Syrian civil war led to a rift between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sunni terrorist organization Hamas, resulting in the latter’s losing what had been its primary patron. But the two are now well on their way to reconciliation, as made evident by the visit earlier this month of several senior Hamas figures to Tehran where they met with the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and several other high-ranking officials. Jonathan Halevi sees the visit as a clear statement of Hamas’s loyalties:
By joining the Iranian axis, Hamas reveals its leadership’s order of priority now that [its recently chosen Politburo chief] Ismail Haniyeh is at the helm. Liberating Palestine takes precedence over the blood-drenched Middle Eastern battles between the Shiites and Sunnis. Hamas is [thus] distancing itself from Saudi Arabia, which regards Iran as a tangible military threat to the Sunni states. Hamas estimates that allying with Tehran can help it fulfill its strategic objectives of taking control of the Palestinian national movement and “liberating Palestine.”
The Hamas leadership views Iran as a rising regional power that is making gains in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, with a growing military force based on a local arms industry, purchases of advanced weaponry from Russia, and the nuclear project.
The entrenchment of the Shiite crescent under direct Iranian hegemony could threaten the stability of the Hashemite regime in Jordan, where the demographic majority is decidedly Palestinian. The Hamas leadership assesses that, in a scenario where Iran makes an effort to undermine Abdullah’s regime, being aligned with Iran will give Hamas an advantage.
From Iran’s standpoint, the renewed alliance with Hamas will enable it to strengthen its zones of influence along Israel’s borders, including within the West Bank, where Hamas and [the Iran-backed] Islamic Jihad [already] give it a foothold.
Read more at Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
More about: Hamas, Iran, Mohammad-Javad Zarif, Politics & Current Affairs