Iranian Foreign Minister Calls Hamas Official to Discuss US-Iran Negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken by telephone with a senior official from the Palestinian militant group Hamas about negotiations between Iran and the United States. Iranian state television reported that Araghchi discussed “the latest developments” in the region with Basem Naeim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau. The call on Wednesday followed the signing last week of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States aimed at permanently ending the war in the Middle East. The text of the MoU does not mention Gaza but stipulates “the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”. Hamas welcomed the agreement and expressed hope that it would also help end the violence in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by more than two years of war with Israel. Iran is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, making it a cornerstone of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. During the phone call, Araghchi “reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s continued support for Palestine and its just struggle until their legitimate national rights are fully realised”, according to a transcript reported by Iranian television. On Tuesday, Araghchi accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian on a visit to neighbouring Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator in the peace talks between Tehran and Washington.