Hawzah News Agency- In an extensive interview with Al-Ahd news website, Osama Hamdan offered rare insights into the decades-long strategic partnership between the Islamic Republic and the Palestinian resistance, revealing previously undisclosed details of landmark meetings between Hamas leaders and the martyred Leader. He elaborated on Imam Khamenei's vision for the resistance, his stance on Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, his pivotal role in shaping the Axis of Resistance, and his assessment of the Islamic Republic's future following his martyrdom.
Over Three Decades of Unwavering Commitment
Hamdan began by stressing that no words can fully capture the stature of the martyred Imam. He explained that Hamas has known Seyyed Ali Khamenei for more than 34 years, dating back to the early 1990s when the movement first established official ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The martyred Imam, he said, viewed Palestine as a doctrinal cause—a battle between truth and falsehood—never reducing it to a political file subject to blackmail or transient calculations.
He added that what Hamas leaders sensed in all their meetings with the Imam was an "unparalleled devotion" to Palestine. His commitment transcended traditional forms of support; he was always proactive in seeking new avenues to strengthen the steadfastness of the Palestinian nation and empower the resistance. Hamdan noted that the Islamic Republic paid a heavy price for this principled stance—whether in the form of crippling sanctions, relentless political pressure, or direct military targeting—yet it never retreated or wavered. Palestine remained a fixed pillar of Iran's foreign policy.
Palestine: The Cause of the Entire Ummah
Hamdan elaborated that Imam Khamenei regarded Palestine as the concern of the entire Islamic Ummah, not solely that of the Palestinian people. In numerous meetings, he consistently underscored that this cause must serve as the unifying factor for Muslims against divisive plots. For the martyred Imam, the Zionist occupation targeted not only Palestine but the entire Ummah, and confronting it therefore demanded a collective effort in which every component of the Muslim world must partake.
This vision, Hamdan noted, was translated into action from the very dawn of the Islamic Revolution—from transforming the former Israeli embassy in Tehran into the Palestinian embassy, to providing indiscriminate support to all Palestinian factions that chose the path of resistance.
Support Beyond Hamas and Islamic Jihad
Hamdan firmly rejected the misconception that Iranian support was confined to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He stressed that the Islamic Republic stood behind all Palestinian forces that embraced resistance against the occupation, irrespective of their intellectual or political backgrounds. This support, he clarified, was directed first and foremost to the Palestinian nation, and then to the resistance as the spearhead of the confrontation with the occupation.
How the Relationship Began
The Hamas official revealed that the first official contact between Hamas and the Islamic Republic was established by a direct order from Imam Khamenei, who tasked an Iranian official with locating Sheikh Khalil al-Quqa, a Hamas leader exiled from Palestine, and arranging the first meeting with the movement's leadership. The first official Hamas delegation, headed by Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, traveled to Tehran in 1992, with the meeting with Imam Khamenei being the centerpiece of that landmark visit.
"During that meeting, the Imam charted the broad contours of the relationship," Hamdan recounted. "He emphasized that supporting you is a religious obligation, because you are Muslims, Mujahideen, oppressed, and you confront the ugliest occupation in the world."
Strategic Vision and Field Action
Hamdan highlighted that the martyred Imam uniquely combined long-term strategic vision with meticulous operational follow-through. He recalled a 2018 meeting during which the resistance leadership raised a technical obstacle hindering part of their work. The Imam immediately ordered it to be resolved, and it was. Hamdan stressed that while Imam Khamenei never interfered in the resistance's field decisions, he was deeply committed to providing whatever was necessary for the mission to be accomplished.
Resistance Autonomy: A Fixed Principle
One of the most critical points Hamdan emphasized was that Imam Khamenei treated resistance groups as sovereign allies, never as proxy instruments. Iran provided support and counsel, but political and military decision-making remained firmly in the hands of the groups themselves. It was precisely this approach, Hamdan noted, that cultivated the profound mutual trust that deepened over the decades.
Hezbollah: A Practical Embodiment of the Imam's Vision
Drawing on his experience as Hamas's representative in Lebanon, Hamdan detailed how that posting afforded him a close-up view of Hezbollah's experience and the manner in which Imam Khamenei oversaw the various fronts of the Axis of Resistance.
He stated that the Imam considered resistance against the Zionist project a foundational pillar of the Islamic establishment in Iran—not a political file to be handled circumstantially, but a permanent strategic choice. This understanding was reflected in Iran's support for Hezbollah since its inception and the continuous drive to develop its military and political capabilities, which enabled the Lebanese resistance to liberate most of the occupied Lebanese territories and evolve into a regional power playing a pivotal role in confronting Israeli occupation.
"The martyred Imam saw the Lebanese resistance as an integral part of the Palestine liberation project," Hamdan explained. "Therefore, support for Hezbollah was never separate from support for the Palestinian resistance. Both arenas were viewed as two fronts in a single battle."
He added that this understanding crystallized vividly during the "Battle of Support for Gaza," when Hezbollah entered the fray under the banner "On the Path to al-Quds." Hamdan described this as a direct reflection of the vision Imam Khamenei had worked tirelessly for years to institutionalize—a vision based on the "integration of resistance fronts" and the rejection of any separation between one front and another. He noted meeting with the martyred Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who affirmed that what mattered most to him in the support battle was restoring the cause of al-Quds to its rightful place as the central cause of the entire Ummah—a position that aligned perfectly with Imam Khamenei's outlook.
Al-Aqsa Storm: The Beginning of the End
Hamdan underscored that Imam Khamenei congratulated the resistance on Operation Al-Aqsa Storm from its earliest days, characterizing it as a strategic turning point in the battle against the occupier. He explained that the Imam consistently hailed the resistance's achievements, believing that it had succeeded in shattering the myth of the Israeli army's invincibility and proving that willpower and faith are capable of altering the balance of power.
Unforgettable Humanitarian Gestures
Hamdan shared personal memories with the martyred Imam, including a 1998 meeting when the resistance was facing a massive Israeli security onslaught. The Imam told them: "Enemies do not pursue the dead and the weak; if they are fighting you with such intensity, it is proof that you are strong."
He also recounted the story of presenting the Imam with a model of al-Quds, explaining that the Leader did not merely accept the gift—he began contemplating the details of the holy city, inquiring about its landmarks one by one. He then ordered it to be displayed at the Astan Quds Razavi Museum in Mashhad, with the explanation that it was a gift from the Palestinian resistance. The gesture, Hamdan said, revealed the profound personal connection the Imam held with al-Quds.
The Islamic Republic and Axis of Resistance After the Imam's Martyrdom
In concluding his remarks, Hamdan expressed Hamas's absolute confidence in the future of the Islamic Republic and the Axis of Resistance. He stressed that this project is not built on individuals but on doctrine, institutions, and a deeply entrenched strategic vision. He confirmed that all cooperation and coordination with the Islamic Republic has continued without interruption following Imam Khamenei's martyrdom, with no decline whatsoever in the level of support or commitment. The legacy of the martyred Leader, he affirmed, lives on in the institutions he built and the generations of believers he inspired across the Muslim world.
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