Al-Qassam Brigades parade at Gaza: weapon types of interest

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades parade dated 14DEC14, marking 27th anniversary of HAMAS

Iranian Ghods Ababil-1 (“Swallow-1”) reconnaissance UAV

Starboard section of Ghods Ababil-1 reconnaissance UAV

Parade flyby of operational Ghods Ababil-1 reconnaissance UAV

Khaibar-1 (M302) 302 mm artillery rocket assemblies, said to be supplied via Iran. Note American-made Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Left: Iranian Dehlavieh (Kornet-E) anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)  launcher

Detail of Iranian Dehlavieh ATGM launcher

Detail of Iranian variant Norinco CQ-A1 assault rifle

Large caliber rocket artillery assembly marked "Qassam ??"

Rocket artillery assemblies marked "Qassam"; similar in appearance to Iranian Oghab ("Eagle")

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades platoon parading with variety of assault rifle types

120 mm heavy mortar; similar in appearance to Iranian DIO HM-16

9K111 Fagot anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system

Man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) launchers

Rocket propelled grenade launchers fitted with variety of different type warheads

Tandem warhead types fitted to RPG launchers

Anti-material sniper rifle, possibly Iranian DIO Sayyad-2 (Steyr HS .50) type

Ghillie-suited members of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades

HAMAS senior political leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran Provided Rocket Technology to Hamas - Official

Former IRGC Commander Mohsen Rezaie, who is currently the secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, said today that Iran has provided missile technology to Hamas, enabling it to fire rockets into Israel.

“Palestinian resistance missiles are the blessings of Iran's transfer of technology. We need to transfer defensive and military technology to Palestinians so that they can build weapons under the blockade and defend themselves,” Rezaei told state-run Arabic channel Al-Alam. (AP, 4 August)

Since the current conflict started on 8 July, Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets at Israel. Almost all incoming rockets that could have hit population areas have been intercepted by Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile defense system. Three Israeli civilians have been killed.

Photo credit: A rocket fired by Hamas from inside the Gaza Strip makes its way toward Israel on 16 July 2014. (Ariel Schalit/AP)

Iran, Hezbollah Renew Relations with Hamas - Report

Al-Monitor reported from Gaza today that Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal received phone calls on 7 July from Tehran “initiated” by Ali Larijani, the speaker of Majlis, Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, and a senior IRGC commander. The unnamed political official in Hamas, Al-Monitor’s source, also said that Hezbollah Secretary General Nassrallah called Meshaal on 20 July.

“It is no secret that the relationship between (Hamas and Hezbollah) officials has not been great because of the crisis in Syria. But Iran contacting Meshaal through (Speaker of Majlis) Ali Larijani, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and a senior IRGC officer on 7 July encouraged Nasrallah to call Meshaal despite the Syrian boycott of Hamas. Therefore, Nasrallah contacting Meshaal has not had positive echoes in Damascus,” a Palestinian official in Lebanon told Al-Monitor. (Al-Monitor, 26 July)

On 16 July, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a speech on Gaza accused Hamas leadership of being “amateurs, wearing the mask of resistance according to their interests in order to improve their image.” (Al-Monitor, 26 July)

Renewal of relationships between Iran/Hezbollah and Hamas could be a move to show that the “axis of resistance” between Tehran, Damascus and Hezbollah should also include Hamas. Assad would be obviously upset with the development, as Hamas has called for his removal as a necessary step to bring peace and normalcy back to Syria. The events in the region are moving so rapidly that old alliances might come under questions and new alliances, albeit temporary ones take their place; another manifestation that the region is facing its most serious crisis ever.

File photo: Hamas Chief Khaled Mashaal in Cairo in 2012. (AP)

Iran Cuts Funding for Hamas - Stance on Syria Cited

Iran has cut funding for Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas for siding with the Syrian opposition in their war against President Bashar al-Assad and the Hezbollah, a senior Hamas official in Gaza Hamas told Al Arabiya.

“The financial support Iran has given to Hamas was influenced by their position regarding the crisis in Syria, yet even so, it never ceased,” said Khalil al-Haya, the Hamas senior official.

Al-Haya said the Hamas’ budget is not suffering a crisis as a result of the shortfall in Iranian funds, stressing that the Islamist movement has other supporters.

“We never expected that a country like Iran, which talked about oppressed people and dictatorial regimes, would stand behind a dictator like Assad who is killing his own people,” said Ahmed Yousef, an adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ prime minister. (Al Arabiya, 2 June)

File photo: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, greets Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, 12 February 2012. (leader.ir/AP)

Larijani in Istanbul to Discuss Syria with Erdogan

Iranian Diplomacy Facing New Challenges

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani arrived in Istanbul today and held talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Syrian crisis. The meeting took place in prime minister’s office in Dolmabahce Palace on Saturday afternoon. Larijani had met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Friday.

Today’s Zaman reports that the two also discussed Israeli-Gaza conflict.

Syria and Gaza conflicts represent serious issues for Iranian diplomacy. The assertive roles of Turkey’s Erdogan and Egypt’s Morsi in Syria and Gaza respectively challenge Iran’s positions in the region. Hezbollah and Hamas have for long been considered Iran’s clients. Assad’s losing control over Syria will weaken the former and the latter’s newly-formed alliance with Egypt (and Qatar) will diminish its dependence on Iran.

Photo credit: Iran’s Majlis speaker Ali Larijani (L) meeting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. Saturday 24 November 2012. (AA/Today’s Zaman)

Larijani in Damascus

Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani arrived in Damascus today and held a meeting with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss the on-going crisis in the country. Larijani will fly to Beirut and Ankara to discuss the Syrian crisis with his Lebanese and Turkish counterparts. (Fars News Agency, 23 November)

Assad is one of Iran’s closest allies and his overthrow by the opposition forces would weaken Iran’s position at a delicate moment during a major power shift in the region. Morsi’s ascendency to power in Cairo and his active role in ending the Gaza conflict could transform Hamas into an Egyptian ally at the expense of Iran, and the fall of Assad would weaken Hezbollah, the other major movement allied to Iran.