The head of the Hamas movement’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Sunday evening during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, that the historic reconciliation of ties reached last month between Saudi Arabia and Iran will benefit the entire region.
Haniyeh emphasized during the phone call that Israel is most certainly “not pleased” with the restoration of Saudi-Iranian ties. The resistance leader said that the rapprochement would benefit both countries respectively, as well as the “entire region, to the Zionists’ dismay.”
He also highlighted the iron will of the Palestinian people and all of the factions in continuing to resist Israel’s occupation.
During the call, Haniyeh and Amir-Abdollahian exchanged warm wishes for Eid al-Fitr – the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The Iranian diplomat assured the Hamas leader that the Islamic Republic will “continue its spiritual and political support for Palestinian people and resistance groups,” according to Iranian news outlet Mehr.
Haniyeh also extended his greetings to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and to the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The phone conversation between the two comes as a major regional shift is underway.
This shift has seen Saudi Arabia not only restore its ties with Iran but also make significant steps toward reconciling with the Syrian government in Damascus. Analysts have suggested that recent Saudi-Syrian talks are among the positive outcomes of the deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The deal also holds important economic significance. Riyadh has recently decided to follow in Iran’s steps with its aspiration to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group of emerging economies, signifying the potential for elevated prosperity in the region.
The two countries have also agreed to open a joint trade office.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Hamas have been taking steps to reconcile with one another after years of soured relations. The kingdom is also involved in peace talks with its longtime Yemeni foe, the Ansarallah resistance movement.
As the kingdom gradually distances itself from Washington, it now finds itself no longer at odds with major elements of the Axis of Resistance – mainly Tehran and Damascus.
Israel has lamented the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation and has also expressed frustration over the kingdom’s warming relations with Hamas – which Israeli media has suggested will significantly dim the prospect of normalization between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Reinforcing this is Saudi Arabia’s recent doubling down on its position regarding a two-state solution – something Israel is unlikely to ever agree on given its continued expansion of illegal settlements and the shocking rhetoric and policy of its current government.
Throughout these developments, Israel has been subjected to a severe internal crisis, as well as a serious external threat from the Axis of Resistance on all fronts.
Source : The Cradle
