Mahmoud Abbas to Visit Iran

A senior Palestinian Authority official announced Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, plans to visit Iran in the next two months. Ahmad Majdalani, an aide to Mahmoud Abbas and an official of the Palestine Liberation Organization, stated in an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua on Monday, August 9, that he has discussed with Iranian officials to coordinate Mr. Abbas's trip to Iran. Earlier, Iranian domestic media such as Tasnim and Fars reported that Ahmad Majdalani traveled to Tehran on Saturday with the aim of strengthening relations and conveying the message of the Palestinian Authority President to the Iranian President. Mr. Majdalani mentioned this event to Xinhua, stating that the goal of the Palestinian delegation's trip to Tehran was to restore and reform the relationship between the two parties. The report indicates that the Palestinian delegation reached an agreement with Iranian officials to form a joint committee for cooperation on political issues and trade and educational exchanges. Tasnim news agency also quoted the Palestinian news agency Ma'an, stating that 'reconciliation and ending disputes' was the focus of the Palestinian delegation's discussions with Iranian officials, and the Palestinians expressed their interest in forming a Palestinian national unity government. Iran and the Palestinian Authority have not had particularly friendly relations in recent years, primarily due to Tehran's support for Hamas against Fatah and Tehran's opposition to peace talks with Israel. However, Mahmoud Abbas visited Tehran in 2012 to attend the Non-Aligned Movement conference. Fars news agency reported that the Palestinian delegation requested the Iranian government to use all its efforts and influence to support the Palestinian leadership's efforts to end the disputes.