Khamenei to Haniyeh: We Are Obligated to Support You in Every Way

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced in a letter to Ismail Haniyeh that the Islamic Republic considers itself obligated to provide 'every kind of support' to 'Hamas.' The full text of Khamenei's letter to Haniyeh was published on Wednesday, April 15, and is essentially a response to a previous letter from the head of Hamas's political bureau. In his earlier letter, Haniyeh spoke of a 'great conspiracy of imperialism' aimed at 'overthrowing Gaza,' expressing gratitude for Iran's support of 'Hamas' and stating that they would 'neutralize the great conspiracy' to 'end the Palestinian issue.' The date of Haniyeh's letter is not specified, but Khamenei's response was given on April 15 and published in Iranian media. In his letter, Khamenei described 'struggle and resistance' as 'the only way to save the oppressed Palestinian people' and stated, 'We consider ourselves obligated to support you in every way.' Khamenei characterized the Islamic Republic's support for 'Hamas' as a 'religious and humanitarian duty' and added that 'God willing, we will continue to fulfill this duty as we have in the past.' He also addressed 'Muslim governments and peoples and Islamic movements,' declaring them 'obligated' to support the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement (Hamas). In another part of the letter, Khamenei assessed 'moving towards negotiations' with Israel as a 'great unforgivable mistake' that 'delays the victory of the Palestinian people.' He also considered the 'cure' for Palestine to be 'strengthening the fighting and resistant faction in the Islamic world and intensifying the struggle against the usurping regime and its supporters.' Khamenei urged the youth and supporting governments of Palestine to 'force the enemy to retreat towards the point of decline with heroic and wise struggle.' He wrote to Haniyeh that his references to 'some of the major challenges of the Islamic Ummah... and... the treachery and hypocrisy of some Arab countries in this region and their wicked schemes in following the Great Satan' are 'absolute truth and confirmed by us.' Khamenei's response to Haniyeh's letter, which includes references to some Arab countries in the region, comes shortly after Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, stated that both the people of Israel and the Palestinians have the right to live peacefully in their lands. Bin Salman added during a meeting with the editorial board of The Atlantic that 'there are many common interests between us and Israel. If we achieve peace, there will be many benefits between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Israel.' The Crown Prince's recent statements are seen as another sign of the rapprochement between Riyadh and Israel, especially as both share concerns about the activities of the Islamic Republic in the region. Recently, Gadi Eisenkot, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, confirmed that Meir Ben Shabbat, the National Security Advisor of Israel, met with Mohammed bin Salman and that there is 'coordination' between the interests of Israel and Saudi Arabia regarding Iran. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have become more hostile since the death of over 500 Iranian pilgrims in Mina and the attack by several Hezbollah activists on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. Riyadh and Tehran are currently engaged in proxy wars in the Middle East and in countries such as Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria. The anger of Iranian officials over these statements stems from the fact that Iran has always questioned the existence of Israel since the Islamic Revolution and does not recognize this country in any political, sports, or cultural relations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also announced on April 11 that it would spare no effort to assist the Palestinians. In a statement released in response to the recent bloody clashes during the six-week protests of Palestinians along the borders of the Gaza Strip with Israel, the IRGC stated that it would activate its resources for what it called 'restoring the rights of the Palestinians.' The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and military commanders have repeatedly spoken explicitly about erasing the map of Israel from the face of the earth; statements that have even faced opposition from Russia, as Iran's strategic ally.