BICOM

For the first time yesterday, Hamas said that relations with Iran had worsened due to its stance in support of opposition groups in Syria seeking the overthrow of President Assad.

Iran is Assad’s staunchest ally and although Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal was hosted in Damascus for several years, he has been based in Qatar since 2012, from where he announced support for Syrian opposition groups. The Hamas stance deprived Assad of an important Sunni ally, for which it appears Hamas is now paying a price.

Speaking yesterday to reporters in Gaza, Hamas’s Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Ghazi Hamad said that “Our relations with Iran were affected both on the political and the financial levels,” adding that the deterioration of relations with Tehran “did not get to the point of boycott [from Iran].” Haaretz cites an unnamed diplomatic source claiming that Hamas received roughly £13million each month from Iran in order to pay the salaries of nearly half of 50,000 Gaza government employees. Hamad added that Hamas “had lots of other sources” of income beyond Iran although “things are not easy.”

Hamas has also received extensive military support from Iran including both weaponry and training. Hamad did not comment on whether this had also been impacted by the deterioration in relations with Tehran.

Earlier this week, a Hamas statement further clarified its’ position on Syria, calling on Hezbollah to “take its forces out of Syria and to keep their weapons directed against the Zionist enemy.” Hezbollah has during the last few weeks fought alongside Assad’s forces and appear committed to continuing their armed support. Meanwhile, senior Hamas figures including Meshaal and the organisation’s leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh have travelled to both Egypt and Turkey this week in an indication that Hamas is looking to strengthen additional sources of foreign backing, possibly fuelled by the breakdown in relations with Iran.