Hamas PM Haniyeh arrives in Tehran for official visit, much to Gulf Arabs' chagrin

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, and Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh gesture at a rally to mark the 33rd anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution that toppled the country's pro-Western monarchy and brought Islamic clerics to power, Tehran, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012. Iran will soon unveil "big new" nuclear achievements, Ahmadinejad said Saturday while reiterating Tehran's readiness to revive talks with the West over the country's controversial nuclear program. (AP Photo)

(JPost) Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Tehran Friday afternoon, where he was welcomed at Mehrabad International Airport by Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Salehi.

On the agenda for Haniyeh's visit was to meet with Iranian officials and "review regional developments," Iran's Fars news agency reported.

Late last month, Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nono said Haniyeh was going to Tehran at the invitation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Earlier this week, however, highlighting the divide between Sunni Arab leaders and Shi'ite Iran, leaders from Gulf states warned Haniyeh not to visit Iran a planned, the Al-Quds daily reported.

According to the report, sources said "Officials in the Gulf states advised Haniyeh not to visit Iran due to tense relations," and "expressed concern over Iran's ambitions in the Persian Gulf."

The source said high-level officials in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait - which Haniyeh recently visited - urged him to cancel the planned Iran visit, saying "without a doubt, Haniyeh's visit to Tehran will have consequences."

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