TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic 
Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said here Tuesday the Palestinian nation and the people of the Gaza Strip are carrying “the highest flag of Islam” in the world today.
He met with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad head Ziyad al-Nakhalah, who were in Tehran to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian. 
“Today, the highest flag of Islam is in the hands of the Palestinian nation and the people of Gaza, and thanks to the resistance, the ground has been provided for the further promotion of Islam,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“The increasing trend toward Islam at the current juncture shows the glory and grandeur of the resistance of the Palestinian nation and the people of Gaza,” he added.
The Leader described the people of Gaza and the West Bank as the main elements behind the glory of the resistance, hoping that the Palestinians and resistance forces will be further blessed by divine assistance.
The Hamas chief, for his part, hailed Iran’s good and strong position in support of Palestine and the resistance movement.
The Palestinian people and resistance fighters must establish their heroism and victory against Israel as the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza has reached a critical and historical stage after 300 days, Haniyeh added.
Nakhalah also said the presence of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders at the meeting is a symbolic sign of unity among Palestinian resistance forces.
Such unity, he noted, has put cooperation among resistance fronts across the region at its best situation.
Ayatollah Khamenei also met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reaffirming Iran’s steadfast commitment to strengthening ties with Yerevan.  
“We are strongly committed to developing relations with Armenia, and cooperation between the two countries will continue robustly based on defined interests, without regard for the policies of others,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the “security and prosperity of nations” are best ensured through self-reliance and fostering close cooperation with neighboring countries.
He said the “interference of distant powers” in the internal affairs of other nations “inevitably results in detrimental consequences for the interveners themselves.”
Armenia has been forging closer ties with the United States and France in recent months, marked by joint military drills held with U.S. forces in July.
In his talks with Tajikistan’s President Imomali Rahmon, the Leader underscored that Iran’s main policy and priority is to expand relations with regional countries, particularly those that share a common language, culture, history, and religion.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is, as it has been in the past, ready for sincere cooperation with Tajikistan in various fields,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“The Farsi language is a significant commonality shared by Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. We must enhance our collaboration to preserve and promote this language and to counter efforts aimed at isolating it,” he said.
The Leader applauded the Tajik president’s measures to promote Persian and expressed hope that Tajikistan embrace back the ancient Farsi script.  
Ayatollah Khamenei said the expansion of relations between Iran and Tajikistan has opponents, stressing the need to develop a strategy to effectively address challenges.
Rahmon said, “As you pointed out several years ago, our two countries are akin, and we seek to further expand relations and utilize the experiences and advancements of the Islamic Republic in the fields of science, health, and industry.”