ABSTRACT
Most of the literature on Hamas highlights the institutional structure of the organisation and its relations with the PLO and Israel. Little attention has been paid to the relations between Hamas and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This chapter examines the chronological development of relations between Iran and Hamas since its establishment in late 1980s until 2011. As the major Islamic movement in Palestine, Hamas was perceived by Iran’s leadership as an influential partner in the Palestinian territory. It is argued that against the backdrop of Tehran’s cold relations with PLO, the Islamic Republic shifted its support towards the Palestinian Islamic movements, including Hamas, in an attempt to champion the resistance against Israel.
