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Hamas Premier Visits Iran in Sign of Strong Relations
(New York Times) Fares Akram and Isabel Kershner - Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, arrived in Iran on Friday for a visit that suggested that relations between Hamas and Iran remained good despite reports of tensions over Syria. The Iranian news media reported on the warm official welcoming ceremony, during which Haniyeh reviewed an honor guard. News reports have said Hamas has resisted pressure from Iran to express support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. But analysts said the Iranian welcome for Haniyeh indicated that relations between Hamas and Iran remained positive. "For anyone who had any illusions as to the extremist nature of Hamas, I would hope this would serve as a wake-up call," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. "The leadership of Iran and the leadership of Hamas share the same extremist goals. In many ways, Hamas is Iran's proxy."