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Will Hamas Re-Enter Iran's Orbit?

Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's fall may encourage Iran and Hamas to renew ties.
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (R) attends a rally in Tehran university February 2, 2009. A delegation from Hamas, headed by its leader Meshaal, arrived in Tehran on Sunday as part of a regional push to reinforce support for the Palestinian group after the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The portraits on the left are that of Late Leader Ayatollah Rouollah Khomeini (L) and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN) - RTXB5LP
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In less than two years, Hamas has repositioned itself within the regional alliances network. After being considered part of the Iran-led “defiance axis” that includes Syria and Hezbollah, Hamas found itself gradually moving toward another axis (which has not chosen a specific name for itself) represented by Mohammed Morsi’s Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. That latter axis stood apart from the pre-Arab-Spring “axis of moderation” that was composed of Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, although this has started to re-emerge after the coup in Egypt.

Hamas greatly benefited from its membership in the defiance axis. Based in Syria, Hamas received substantial funding from Iran and was able to train its fighters by having close ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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