Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine (Hamas).
In the beginning of this meeting al-Arouri submitted a letter from Ismail Haniyeh, Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, to the Leader.
The Supreme Leader expressed pleasure with the letter from Ismail Haniyeh, saying, Hamas stands at the core of the Palestinian movement, as Palestine stands at the core of the Muslim World as well.
Regarding the defiance and resistance of the people of Gaza and the West Bank as an indication of victory and success, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted: God has promised assistance and victory to those who stand steadfast for His cause, yet the realization of this promise has requirements, of which the most important ones include Jihad, struggle, and tireless efforts in various dimensions including political, cultural, intellectual, economic and military aspects.
The Supreme Leader said that when it comes to the Palestinian cause, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not observe any reservations or ceremonies in dealing with any country of the world, and added: "We have always clearly and plainly announced our viewpoints regarding Palestine, and even on the international arena, our friends with whom we do not see eye to eye on the issue of Palestine, know that the Islamic Republic seriously supports the Palestinian cause.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that according to the divine tradition, the victory of the Palestinian people and the return of this holy land to the Islamic world are not strange and unrealistic, adding that 40 years ago, no one believed that in Iran—which was the center of US influence and aspirations—a religious government would be launched and the Israeli embassy in Tehran would be turned into a Palestinian Embassy. However, this unbelievable matter happened, hence it is possible to make the things which may seem strange come true.
Ayatollah Khamenei further maintained: To us, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah's remark that “God willing, I will perform prayers at Bayt al-Maqdis,” is an absolutely achievable aspiration.
His Eminence emphasized that one of the requirements for the realization of this aspiration is strong positions and resistance—just as Mr. Haniyeh pointed out in his letter—and added: If we all perform our duties, the divine promise will surely be fulfilled.
Pointing to the treasonous "Deal of the Century" plot, the Supreme Leader said: This dangerous conspiracy aims to destroy the Palestinian identity among the Palestinian public and youth, and it must be confronted precisely on this point, so that they are not allowed to destroy the Palestinian identity by use of money.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed up that confronting this conspiracy requires promotional, cultural and intellectual work, and held: "Another way of opposing this conspiracy is for the Palestinian people to feel advancement, and this has happened already, thank God."
He added: "Not so many years ago, the Palestinians were fighting using stones. But today, instead of stones, they are equipped with precision missiles, and this is feeling advancement.
In this meeting, after presenting the Leader of the Islamic Revolution with regards and well wishes of Mr. Ismail Haniyeh and the people of Palestine, Mr. Saleh al-Arouri, Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau maintained: "As you pointed out, we believe that based on the divine promise, Qods, and Palestine will be freed from the tyranny of the Zionists, and all of the fighters of God, and the Muslim Ummah will perform prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque."
Referring to Imam Khomeini's strong positions in support of the question of Palestine, before the victory of the Islamic Revolution and after that, as well as the explicit positions taken by the Supreme Leader, the deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau said: We always appreciate the Islamic Republic’s permanent and unchanging support for the Palestinian people.
Referring to the US and Zionists’ hostilities against the Islamic Republic and their imposition of sanctions and threats, Mr. Saleh al-Arouri pointed out: We, as the movement of resistance and the Hamas movement, declare our solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and insist that any hostile action against Iran is indeed a hostile action against Palestine and the Resistance movement, and we consider ourselves to be at the forefront of supporting Iran.
Referring to the defensive capabilities of the Palestinian Resistance movement, he added: The defense advances made by Hamas and other resistance groups are by no means comparable to past years, and today all the occupied territories and the main and sensitive Zionist centers are within the reach of the Palestinian Resistance missiles.
Referring to the "Deal of the Century", the deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau said it was the most dangerous conspiracy with the aim of eliminating the Palestinian identity, and reported on the latest developments, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the end of the visit, Hamas delegation offered as a gift a carved image of the al-Aqsa mosque to the leader of the Islamic Revolution.
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