Hamas Leader Haniyeh Arrives in Tehran for Talks

By Yoni Weiss

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday accompanied by a high-level delegation from the organization for crucial discussions with Iranian officials, as reported by the terror group.

The timing of Haniyeh’s visit is significant, coinciding with Israel’s apparent withdrawal from truce and hostage negotiations in Qatar following Hamas’s rejection of the latest offer. This decision was confirmed by an Israeli official.

Hamas reiterated its steadfastness to its original demands, set forth on March 14, which include a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the repatriation of displaced Gazans, and a genuine exchange of prisoners. These demands have been consistently dismissed by Israel as unrealistic.

Describing Haniyeh’s visit as “significant,” Iranian state news agency IRNA notes its occurrence just a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken on Oct. 7. The resolution was adopted after the United States abstained from the vote, leading to tensions with Israel.