It is rare that someone like Shalah visits Doha, given the tight security measures that lead his movements to be well-tracked and detailed. Hence, he went only after receiving his Iranian allies’ blessings.

An Iranian official told Al-Monitor that the visit is expected to take place after the Persian New Year (Nowroz), although the exact timing is still to be confirmed. Another Iranian source explained that all the details have been sorted with Hamas since summer 2013. He added, “Up to this moment, more than eight delegations from Hamas have visited Tehran. Political, military and social delegations were welcomed and always are. The issue of Mr. Meshaal was personal and more complicated. Now it’s almost resolved.”