Iranian regime officials spent the week of Ali Khamenei’s multi-day funeral reaffirming their commitment to the anti-America and anti-Israel “Axis of Resistance,” according to a series of photos and statements released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry and state media throughout the week.
Muhammad Fneish, a US-sanctioned Lebanese Shi’a politician and Hezbollah member, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on July 4 and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on July 5.
Hezbollah delegation meets Iranian leadership
While the press release on the Araghchi meeting mentioned only that the pair exchanged comments related to Hezbollah’s actions against Israel, its gratitude to Tehran for including Lebanon in the memorandum of understanding (MoU), and an exchange of condolences over assassinated leadership, the release on the meeting that followed pushed that Hezbollah would continue its “Islamic and revolutionary duty” in the “resistant front.”
Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, vice president of Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shia Council (SISC), also met with Araghchi in Tehran last week, where the Foreign Ministry claimed that the minister “stressed Iran’s commitment to pursuing an end to the Zionist regime’s aggression and occupation against Lebanon.”
Hamas leaders praise Iran's 'Resistance Front'
Photos published by the Foreign Ministry revealed senior members of Hamas present at the meeting, including Muhammad Ismail Darwish, the Qatar-based chairman of Hamas’s General Shura Council.
After the meeting with Araghchi and Ghalibaf, Darwish told CNN’s Arabic service that Iran “will not make peace with America and will not recognize Israel,” and claimed that the parliamentary speaker reiterated his support for the “resistance front.”
Darwish, according to the Foreign Ministry, claimed that Iran’s successes in the war with the United States represented “the victory of the entire Resistance Front and Muslims.”
Houthi official reaffirms support for Iran
Ghalibaf also met with Mohammed Al-Nuaimi, a member of the Houthis’ leadership, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency, where the representative from the Yemeni group reportedly said the Houthis would remain in the “same trench” for the sake of the Islamic Ummah (global Muslim community).
“What happened in Iran during the recent war has become a school of thought for the entire Resistance Front,” Nuaimi said.