Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against the Trump administration's "Deal of the Century" peace plan in a meeting with a senior Hamas delegation, saying that: "The goal of this dangerous conspiracy is to eliminate the Palestinian identity among the Palestinian people and youth. This is the point that must be resisted, and they must not be allowed to eliminate the Palestinian identity using money."He added that coping with this plot requires promotional, cultural and intellectual work, adding that "another way of resisting this conspiracy is to make the Palestinians feel that this has happened by God's grace."
The delegation visiting Iran is headed by deputy chairman of Hamas's Political Bureau Saleh Al-Arouri and includes Head of Hamas Diaspora Office Maher Salah, Musa Abu Marzouk, Izzat Al-Rishq, Zaher Jabarinm, Hussam Badran, Usama Hamdan, Ismail Radwan and Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas's representative to Iran.
Khamenei praised the Hamas terrorist group and the "resistance of the Palestinian people" during the meeting, saying, "victory will not be achieved without resistance and struggle," according to a press release on Khamenei's website. He added that the Palestinian cause is the "first and most important issue" in the Islamic world.
The Iranian leader expressed appreciation of the "good and important" position of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, saying, "Hamas is at the heart of the Palestinian movement, as Palestine is at the heart of the movement of the Islamic world."
"We have always stated our views on Palestine explicitly and clearly, and even in the international arena of our friends... they know that the Islamic republic is quite serious in the Palestinian affair," Khamenei noted.
Although Iran's support for Palestinians is a "major cause of hostility," according to Khamenei, this does not stop Iran from keeping its position on the issue "because supporting Palestine is a matter of belief and religion."
Khamenei stressed that if the Islamic world had been united on the Palestinian issue, "it would now be better off." He attacked Saudi Arabia for its "stupidity" in following the US, because supporting the Palestinians could have "won them points" against America.
The leader of the Islamic republic added that Palestinians shouldn't feel like their goals are unrealistic, using Iran as an example of such a transformation.
"40 years ago, no one believed that a religious government would be established in Iran, which was the center of American influence and hope, or that the Israeli embassy would be turned into a Palestinian embassy, but this incredible transformation was achieved," said Khamenei.
The "strong and persistent positions" of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh are the requirements for Palestinian success, according to Khamenei, who added that, "If we all act in accordance with our duties, the promise of the divine will surely be fulfilled."
After expressing greetings from Haniyeh and the people of Palestine, Saleh al-Arouri said to Khamenei, "As you mentioned, we believe, based on the divine promise, that Quds (Jerusalem) and Palestine will be liberated from the grip of the Zionists and all residents and Islamic nations will read prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Al-Arouri also thanked Khamenei for Iran's "permanent and unchanging" support for the Palestinians.
Referring to recent escalations between the US and Iran, the Hamas official added that Hamas expressed "solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran and emphasize that any hostile action against Iran is actually hostile to Palestine and the current of resistance. We consider ourselves to be at the forefront of supporting Iran."
Al-Arouri addressed how the capabilities of the Hamas terrorist group have advanced through the years, adding that "today, all of the occupied territories and the main Zionist centers are in the crosshairs of Palestinian resistance missiles."
Saleh Arouri is one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, and is responsible for several bloody terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, including the 2014 kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. Last November, the US State Department announced a $5 million reward for information which would lead to Arouri's capture.
Anna Ahronheim and Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.