An advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday evening, stating that Hamas's assault on Israel was a "source of pride."
"What you are doing today is a source of pride for us and the entire nation, and what you have done has astonished the enemy who did not expect the Palestinian people's ability to withstand and struggle," said Velayati, adding that he denounces what he called "the horrific Zionist crimes against defenseless civilians, the destruction of infrastructure, and the ongoing destruction due to the Zionist aggression."