In a move that underscores its continued support for terrorism, Iran hosted a high-profile meeting in Tehran on February 18, 2025, between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The meeting, which followed Nakhalah’s discussions with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, highlighted Tehran’s unwavering commitment to fueling instability in the region by backing terror organizations operating against Israel.
Iran’s Unwavering Support for Terrorist Groups
During the meeting, Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to aiding Palestinian terrorist factions, condemning Israel’s defensive military operations against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. He falsely claimed that Israel had “failed to achieve its objectives” despite the heavy losses sustained by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both in leadership and infrastructure. Araqchi praised Palestinian terrorists for their “victory”, ignoring the massive destruction and setbacks they have faced due to Israeli precision strikes and counterterrorism operations.
Araqchi also denounced Israel’s right to self-defense, portraying its military response as “crimes against humanity”—a typical Iranian tactic used to delegitimize Israeli efforts to protect its civilians from relentless rocket attacks and terrorist infiltrations.
Iran’s Role in Regional Terrorism
Iran is the primary financier and arms supplier of Palestinian terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, providing them with rockets, drones, and military training. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a barbaric terrorist attack against Israel—murdering over 1,163 Israelis, raping women, and taking hostages—Iran has intensified its direct involvement in fueling the war, launching ballistic missile attacks against Israel.
Iran has also mobilized its terrorist proxies across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria, escalating attacks on Israel from multiple fronts. Iran’s support for Palestinian terrorism is part of a larger campaign to destabilize the region and target Israel and U.S. allies.
In response, Nakhalah thanked Iran for its unwavering support, making it clear that his terrorist organization remains fully committed to armed resistance against Israel. He vowed to continue attacks until “Palestine is liberated from Zionist occupation”, rhetoric that echoes Hamas’ genocidal intentions. He also praised Iran’s role in financing and supplying the so-called “resistance axis,” which includes multiple Iranian-backed terror groups across the Middle East.
Iran’s Strategy in the Region
Iran’s meeting with Islamic Jihad is a clear signal that Tehran is not interested in peace but in escalating the war against Israel. The Islamic Republic continues to finance, arm, and coordinate terrorist attacks, while Western nations remain divided on how to counter Iran’s aggression. Iran’s leadership knows that keeping terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad active serves its broader strategy of destabilization and conflict against Israel and the West.
This meeting further exposes the reality that Iran is the primary sponsor of terrorism in the region, working through its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria to attack Israel and American interests. Iran is not just supporting these groups; it is actively directing and orchestrating attacks against Israeli civilians and military targets.
Israel and its allies must recognize that Iran is the mastermind behind the ongoing conflict. This meeting between Iran’s foreign minister and Islamic Jihad’s leader should serve as another reminder that there can be no negotiations with Iranian-backed terrorists.
As long as Iran remains the financial and ideological lifeline for Palestinian terrorism, Israel must continue its military operations to dismantle Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s infrastructure. The world cannot afford to ignore Iran’s role in orchestrating terror across the Middle East. It is time for decisive action against the Iranian regime and its terror proxies.
