Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Hamas’ newly elected leader to congratulate him and pledge Tehran’s continued support for the group’s cause, Hamas said Monday — as President Donald Trump promotes a landmark agreement intended to strip the terrorist organization of its weapons and power in Gaza.Pezeshkian congratulated Khalil al-Hayya on his election as head of the group’s political bureau and told him Iran would continue supporting the Palestinian cause, according to a Hamas statement posted in Arabic, and reviewed by Fox News Digital."We are with you, and we support you in every action you take, despite the attacks we are facing," Pezeshkian said, according to Hamas’ account of the call.Fox News Digital has asked Iran’s mission to the United Nations to confirm that the call took place and provide an official readout.HAMAS TAPS 'ULTIMATE INSTITUTIONAL SURVIVOR' AS TERROR CHIEF, SENDING MESSAGE TO ISRAEL: EXPERTAnalysts say Al-Hayya's elevation signals that Hamas, after the destruction of Gaza and the losses since Oct.7, 2023, has prioritized organizational cohesion, armed continuity, and the preservation of its Iranian relationship.
(Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)The reported conversation highlighted a central contradiction confronting Trump’s Gaza initiative: While the White House is presenting the roadmap as a landmark agreement to remove Hamas from power and secure its weapons, Iran — the group’s longtime military and financial patron — was simultaneously reaffirming its support for Hamas and its new leader.Tehran’s backing raises fresh questions about whether Hamas is prepared to surrender the arsenal at the core of its power and how the Board of Peace could enforce disarmament against a group that continues to receive political support from one of Washington’s principal regional adversaries.Trump in recent days announced what he called a "HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of H...