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Hamas visit to Riyadh strikes nerve in Iran

A Hamas delegation recently visited Saudi Arabia to bolster relations between both parties, as Iran fumed.
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Without prior notice, Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, arrived in Riyadh on the evening of July 15 for a two-day visit, accompanied by fellow bureau members Mousa Abu Marzouk, Mohammad Nazal and Saleh al-Arouri. This was the first such visit by a Hamas delegation in three years, after the movement’s last to Riyadh in June 2012.

Hamas issued a brief statement July 18 regarding the visit to Saudi Arabia, revealing that the delegation held a series of informal meetings with King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

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