Iranian Leaders Are Vowing To Back Hamas In Their Fight Against Israel

General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force, has offered Iran's "complete support" for Palestinians in their struggle against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as Israel's capital. Tehran Times

Bloomberg: Soleimani Says Iran Is Ready to Back Palestinian Forces

* Soleimani offers support to Gaza-based groups over Jerusalem
* Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as capital of future state

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani says his nation is ready to support Palestinian forces in the Gaza Strip, days after the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Soleimani, commander of the Al Quds force, made the offer in a phone call late Monday with leaders of groups in Gaza, according to the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ website, Sepah News, which didn’t give details of the assistance proffered. Other forces in the region are ready to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Soleimani also told the Gaza faction leaders, without identifying them. The mosque is Islam’s third-holiest shrine and a frequent flashpoint for tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

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More News On Iranian Leaders Are Vowing To Back Hamas In Their Fight Against Israel

Soleimani offers support for Palestinian groups to resist Trump’s move on al-Quds -- Tehran Times
Iranian leaders vow to back Hamas in fight against Israel -- The Times of Israel
Iran's Revolutionary Guards offer support to Palestinians -- Gulf Times
Revolutionary Guard Commander Says Iran Will Support Palestinian Forces In Fight Against Israel -- Zero Hedge

Iran Tells Visiting Hamas Delegation That Their Support Is Contingent On Them Continuing The Fight Against Israel

Leader’s Aide Velayati received Hamas’s Deputy Political Chief Saleh el-Arouri on Saturday in Tehran and restated Iran’s support for Palestinian people. Mehr News Agency

AFP/Times of Israel: Senior Hamas delegation arrives in Tehran for talks

Discussions said to focus on Palestinian unity deal, while Iran says support depends on continued fight against Israel.

A high-ranking Hamas delegation began a visit to Iran on Friday to inform its backers in Tehran about reconciliation efforts with rival Palestinian faction Fatah, an official from the terror group said.

The group led by deputy chief Salah al-Arouri will meet senior Iranian officials over the next several days, the representative said on condition of anonymity, after Israel insisted it will not recognize any unity Palestinian government unless Hamas cuts off ties with Tehran.

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WNU Editor: I can hear the sales pitch right now. We will continue to give you support, diplomatic recognition, money and weapons .... but the condition is that you must continue to wage war against Israel. And in turn we will help you to defeat Israel by putting enough pressure on them to make concessions that will place us in a more advantageous position to continue the fight against Israel.

More News On A Delegation From Hamas Visiting Iran

Senior Hamas Official in Iran for Official Talks -- Tasnim News (Iran).
Iran, main supporter of Palestinian cause: Hamas official -- Mehr News Agency (Iran)
Senior Hamas officials visit Iran to improve relations -- JNS.org
Hamas ignores Israel, sends delegation to Iran -- Arutz Sheva
Hamas delegation visits Iran -- Middle East Online

The Growing Iran - Hamas Alliance

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (L) looks on as Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal speaks during an official meeting in Tehran, in this file picture taken February 27, 2010. Reuters/Khamenei.ir/Handout via Reuters/Files

The Telegraph: Iran 'is intensifying efforts to support Hamas in Gaza'

Iran has transferred tens of millions of dollars to Hamas's military wing in Gaza to help it rebuild after last summer's conflict with Israel, intelligence sources state

Iran has sent Hamas’s military wing tens of millions of dollars to help it rebuild the network of tunnels in Gaza destroyed by Israel’s invasion last summer, intelligence sources have told The Sunday Telegraph.

It is also funding new missile supplies to replenish stocks used to bombard residential neighbourhoods in Israel during the war, code-named Operation Protective Edge by Israel.

The renewed funding is a sign that the two old allies are putting behind them a rift caused by the conflict in Syria, where Shia Iran is backing President Bashar al-Assad against Hamas’s mainly Sunni allies.

More News On The Growing Iran - Hamas Alliance

Report: Iran transfers millions to Hamas for reconstruction of tunnels -- Jerusalem Post
Iran Transfers Tens of Millions to Hamas to Rebuild Terror Tunnels -- Algemeiner
'Iran funding the rebuilding of Hamas tunnels in Gaza' -- Israel Hayom
Hamas attempting to split loyalty between regional rivals Iran, Saudi Arabia -- Jerusalem Post
Hamas Divides Loyalty Between Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Algemeiner

Is Iran Moving Quickly To Rearm Hamas?

Iran test fires a Fajr-3 missile [file photo] Photo: IRNA / Reuters

Satellites Show Iran Moving Quickly To Rearm Hamas -- Jerusalem Post

'Sunday Times' cites Israeli official claiming Tehran shipping Fajr-5 rockets through Sudan to the Gaza Strip.

Israeli intelligence satellites have spied the loading of rockets and other material in Iran believed to be destined for the Gaza Strip, the UK-based Sunday Times reported, citing Israeli officials.

According to the report, Iran began preparing the weapons shipment around the same time Israel and Hamas negotiated a cease-fire late last week.

The shipment is said to include Iranianmade Fajr-5 medium-range rockets, the same model that was fired toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during Operation Pillar of Defense, the Sunday Times reported.

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My Comment: I am surprised that Israel is making this news public. I guess it is their way of telling Iran that they know what they are doing, and they will take measures to stop them.

How Weapons Are Smuggled From Iran To Hamas

DigitalGlobe image of Yarmouk Military Depot shows before and after images of an industrial complex in Khartoum, Sudan that was rocked by explosions last month.

Smuggling Weapons To Gaza – The Long Way -- CNN

Just after midnight on October 24, a series of loud explosions shook a neighborhood on the southern outskirts of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Within minutes, flames shooting skyward illuminated the area, and the Yarmouk Industrial Complex was consumed by fire.

Witnesses said they heard planes in the area, and a subsequent analysis of satellite images revealed six large craters "each approximately 16 meters [52 feet] wide ... and consistent with craters created by air-delivered munitions," according to the Satellite Sentinel Project, a non-governmental organization that analyzed DigitalGlobe imagery.

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My Comment: Talk about taking the long route .... but I suspect that after the latest bombing, Iran`s arms smugglers are looking for other routes (i.e. my money is on Libya and Eritrea).

Hamas Will 'Stay Out' Of A War Between Israel And Iran

Ayatollah Khamenei with Hamas leader Ismail Haniya

Hamas Official: We Will 'Stay Out' Of War Between Israel And Iran -- Haaretz

Speaking to The Guardian, member of Palestinian militant group's Gaza leadership says Hamas is not part of regional alliance and will not take sides in a possible conflict.

Hamas will stay out of a possible military conflict between Israel and Iran over Tehran's contentious nuclear program, a senior Hamas official said on Tuesday, adding that the Palestinian organization was not part of regional alliances.

The comment by Salah Bardawil a member of Hamas' political leadership in Gaza, and following estimations that Iran-back militant groups in the regions, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, would aid Tehran in case of war with Israel.

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Update: Hamas rules out military support for Iran in any war with Israel -- The Guardian

My Comment: I was initially surprised by this announcement. But the more that I thought about it, the conspiratorial side of me started to wonder if someone got to the leadership of Hamas and was able to convince them that as Sunni Arabs, supporting Shiite Persian Iran may not be in their best interests. Who may have gotten to them .... my money is on Saudi Arabia and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

Iran Threatens Hamas With Cutting Of Funds

Iran Threatening To Cut Hamas Funds, Arms Supply If It Flees Syria -- Haaretz

Palestinian sources tell Haaretz that Hamas is abandoning its headquarters in Syria and looking at other Arab states as alternative location for its political command center.

Iran had applied intense pressure to Hamas in an effort to persuade it not to leave Damascus, threatening even to cut off funds to the organization if it did so, Palestinian sources have told Haaretz.

The Iranian pressure also included an unprecedented ultimatum - namely, an explicit threat to stop supplying Hamas with arms and suspend the training of its military activists.

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More News On Iran Threatening Hamas With The Cutting of Funds

Iran warns Hamas against leaving Syria-- UPI
Hamas quietly scales back its presence in Syria -- Business Recorder
Syrian crisis forces Hamas to relocate out of Damascus -- The Australian
Hamas moves headquarters out of Syria -- Herald Sun/Newscore
Hamas considers whether to pull leadership out of Syria -- The Telegraph
Hamas Abandons Syria in Quest for New Arab Sponsors -- IBTimes
Hamas quietly scales back its presence in Syria -- Reuters
Hamas denies reports leaders fled Syria -- Jerusalem Post

My Comment: Iran is trying its best to prop up the Assad regime in Syria because they now know that if Assad and his government is replaced, this is what will probably be the result.

An Iran - Hamas Falling Out?

Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) greets Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Tehran Feb. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Iran Cuts Hamas Funding For Failing To Show Support For Assad -- Haaretz/Reuters

Hamas has denied that it is in financial crisis but says it faces liquidity problems stemming from inconsistent revenues from tax collection in the Gaza Strip and foreign aid.

Iran has reduced or possibly halted its funding of Hamas after the Islamist movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, failed to show public support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, diplomats said on Sunday.

Hamas has denied that it is in financial crisis but says it faces liquidity problems stemming from inconsistent revenues from tax collection in the Gaza Strip and foreign aid.

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Update #1: Iran punishes Hamas for not backing Assad -- Sydney Morning Herald
Update #2: Foreign funds for Hamas hit by Syria unrest-diplomats -- Reuters

My Comment: They will make up after the situation in Syria has resolved itself .... so they hope.

Will Iran's Political Turmoil Shake Hezbollah?

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian president Ahmadinejad
(Iranian News Agency ISNA, August 1, 2005)

From Christian Science Monitor:

The Shiite militant organization in Lebanon draws money and ideological guidance from Iran's supreme leader.

Beirut, Lebanon - The political turmoil that has shaken Iran following its disputed presidential election last month is being keenly observed by Lebanon's militant Shiite Hezbollah, which takes many of its cues – earthly and spiritual – from the Islamic Republic.

Hezbollah is the only organization outside Iran that subscribes to that nation's ideology of theocratic leadership. The group was founded with Iranian help, still receives Iranian funding, and has at times turned to Iran's supreme leader for guidance on major political issues. Therefore, the outcome of current debates there over the way theocratic authority is wielded and the secular question of how Iran should manage its external relations is sure to reverberate inside Lebanon.

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Update: Iran Turmoil May Cost Hezbollah, Hamas Amid Retreat -- Bloomberg

My Comment: It is natural that there would be an impact. I am sure that a majority of Iranians would rather have money coming to their communities instead of supplying funds and weapons to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas .... and this is a sentiment that has been played up by opponents to the regime.

I would also add Syria to this list and Shiite extremist groups in Iraq.

Seizing Arm Shipments To Hamas

Members of SEAL Team Two (Echo Platoon) conduct room search and clearing operations during a practice ship boarding and take-down aboard USS Normandy (CG 60). (Image from Special Operations)

US Seizing Of Iranian Ship 'A Covert Op' -- Jerusalem Post

The interception of an Iranian arms ship by the US Navy in the Red Sea last week likely was conducted as a covert operation and is being played down by the US military due to the lack of a clear legal framework for such operations, an American expert on Iran told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday evening.

International media reported that an Iranian-owned merchant vessel flying a Cypriot flag was boarded early last week by US Navy personnel who discovered artillery shells on board.

The ship was initially suspected of being en route to delivering its cargo to smugglers in Sinai who would transfer the ammunition to Hamas in Gaza, but the US Navy became uncertain over the identity of the intended recipient since "Hamas is not known to use artillery," The Associated Press cited a defense official as saying.

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Update: U.S. watching for Iranian arms to Gaza -- UPI

Update #2: When Guessing Become News -- Information Dissemination

My Comment: It is troubling that there is no legal framework to stop this. I suggest that a framework be found very fast, or give the intel to countries who will not be hindered by lawyers.

US Navy Seeks Arms Bound For Hamas

U.S. sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower gather on the flight deck to watch as the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio sails alongside in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 10, 2005. San Antonio is the lead ship in the Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock-class of ships. She is scheduled to arrive in her new homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., for the holidays and then will sail to Ingleside, Texas for her commissioning ceremony, Jan. 14, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher B. Long

From Sunday Times:

AN American naval taskforce in the Gulf of Aden has been ordered to hunt for suspicious Iranian arms ships heading for the Red Sea as Tehran seeks to re-equip Hamas, its Islamist ally in Gaza.

According to US diplomatic sources, Combined Task Force 151, which is countering pirates in the Gulf of Aden, has been instructed to track Iranian arms shipments.

Last week the USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport dockship that serves as the command and control centre for the taskforce, boarded the former Russian cargo vessel Monchegorsk, which is registered in Limassol and flying a Cypriot flag.

The ship docked at an Egyptian Red Sea port for a detailed search during which, according to unconfirmed reports, weapons were found.

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My Comment: With time, Iran will be successful in arming Hamas. They have the time, resources, and contacts to succeed.

Iran Tones Down Its Vocal Support For Hamas

Photo: AFP caption: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president (L) pledges funds to Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas. (Photo from Powerline)

From International Herald Tribune:

CAIRO: Late last month, Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that anyone killed defending Palestinians in the Gaza Strip would be rewarded in heaven as a martyr. Young men began lining up - 70,000 in all - to go off and die.

But a week later Khamenei announced without explanation that no one was going anywhere to fight. "I thank the pious and devoted youth who have asked to go to Gaza," he said in a televised address. "But it must be noted that our hands are tied in this arena."

While the fighting continues in Gaza and negotiations for a cease-fire take place in Egypt, officials in Tehran are treading carefully because they, too, have a great deal at stake. Iran is trying to position itself as the regional superpower, while also trying to generate maximum leverage before expected talks with the administration of President Barack Obama.

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