TEHRAN – Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhaleh has hailed Iran’s unwavering support for Palestinians, saying the Islamic Republic remains the sole nation across the globe to openly stand behind Palestine and the anti-Israeli resistance.
Iran “dares to declare that it supports the Palestinian people and Palestinian resistance. No other country in the world takes such a stance so explicitly,” he told Al-Alam news network in an interview.
Nakhaleh, who led a Palestinian delegation to Iran, pointed to a meeting in Tehran between senior officials of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC) as “a testament to Tehran’s support for the Palestinian resistance factions” that also “highlights strong ties between Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Islamic Republic.”
On Monday, Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Tehran along with a delegation and held talks with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), who described resistance as the most potent approach for bringing an end to over seven decades of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Nakhaleh said more officials from other resistance groups are due to arrive in Iran in the days ahead to join them, pointing out that leaders of the resistance axis will hold a meeting in Tehran to further assess the current situation in the occupied Palestine and adopt a joint position in their efforts to end the Israeli occupation.
Such gatherings, he said, are “ordinary” but the strong presence of resistance leaders in Iran signals a “special” development.
It will relay “a message to the enemy, as well as the Palestinian nation that the Palestinians will not be left alone” in their struggle against the Israeli enemy, he added.
Nakhaleh said such gatherings “highlight the unity of the resistance axis against the Israeli regime, insisting that the upcoming meeting will bring about “positive” repercussions in the region.
During his current visit to Iran, Nakhaleh held talks with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials.