Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Ismail Darwish, head of the Political Council of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas have discussed the latest developments in the region, particularly the establishment of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting between Araghchi and Darwish as well as a number of other members of the council took place in Qatar on Saturday on the sidelines of a tripartite meeting among the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey and Russia – the guarantor states of the Astana peace process.
“The principled stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in supporting the people and resistance of Palestine and Lebanon against the occupation and aggression of the Zionist regime will continue with strength,” Araghchi said.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas waged the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of oppression and devastation against Palestinians.
The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 44,664 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 105,976 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.
Araghchi pointed to the ongoing situation in Syria following the resurgence of militant groups and said, “The main goal of the Zionist regime is to divert the attention of the region and the world from the focal point of the crisis, which is the genocide in Gaza, [Israel’s] continued aggression against Lebanon and its repeated violations of the ceasefire.”
The top Iranian diplomat warned against the “serious dangers” of the developments in Syria and said in case of the continuation of the ongoing situation, the Arab country would turn into a safe haven for militant groups.
“No country in the region will remain safe from the ramifications of chaos and insecurity in Syria,” he emphasized.
Hamas determined to continue fight against Zionist occupation: Darwish
Darwish said Hamas and other resistance movements are determined to continue the battle against the Israeli occupation until the rights of the Palestinian people are fully restored.
He hailed Iran’s full support for the Palestinian people and resistance.
He said Hamas supports Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and stresses the importance of maintaining the Arab country’s position in the resistance front in the face of the Zionist-American plots.
The Hamas Political Council chief expressed hope that the crisis in Syria would be settled through dialogue.
Hopes for Gaza ceasefire remain despite specific complexities: Iran FM
Speaking to reporters after the meeting with top Hamas officials, Araghchi expressed optimism about establishing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip despite “specific complexities”.
“The ceasefire in Gaza has its own specific complexities. There are hopes for progress, but there are also obstacles,” he said.
He added that regional developments, particularly the situation in the war-stricken Gaza and the ceasefire negotiations were among the main issues discussed by the sides.
The top Iranian diplomat noted that the sides also exchanged views about the developments in Lebanon and Syria.
Araghchi described his talks with the top Hamas officials as “useful” and said there is good coordination between the two sides.
Earlier, the Iranian foreign minister held talks with his Turkish and Russian counterparts about the latest situation in Syria.
