Ismail Haniyya, the head of the Hamas politburo, and Ziyad al-Nahala, the Secretary General of Islamic Jihad, visited Tehran on March 26 for talks with Iranian officials. During their visit, Haniyya met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and was also received by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Both men have a history of involvement in terrorist activities and are considered dangerous individuals by many countries.
Ismail Haniyya was born in 1963 in the Shaati Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza and joined the new Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) in 1987. He became the head of the Hamas government in Gaza after the killings of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and Abd al-Aziz Rantisi. In 2017, he was elected as the new head of the Hamas politburo and his tenure has been extended until August 2021.
Ziyad al-Nahala, born in 1953 in Khan Yunis, has a long history as a militant involved in terrorist actions. After being released from prison in 1985, he joined Islamist terrorist organization Islamic Jihad and took part in the first intifada. Al-Nahala became Secretary General of Islamic Jihad in 2018 and is considered one of most wanted terrorists by US authorities. His accounts have been frozen and there is a reward for information leading to his capture.
