PA Chairman Abbas (Abu Mazen) has confirmed reports that he will be visiting Iran to meet with state leaders. He told the press than Iran is a “neighboring sister nation”. Speaking to a delegation of journalists from Poland in his Ramallah office, Abu Mazen explained that the PA (Palestinian Authority) has a diplomatic facility in Iran and Tehran officially recognizes the PA. “Relations between us have never been stronger”. According to unofficial reports, the visit is expected to take place in about six weeks.

A senior PA delegation visited Iran two weeks ago, meeting with Iran’s foreign minister. It is pointed out that meeting was planned prior to the signing of the agreement between Iran and the P5+1. It is also reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is weighing the possibility to appointing an ambassador to the PA in the near future. If this occurs, the ambassador will not sit in Ramallah but in Jordan.

A PA diplomatic presence has been maintained in Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Ironically it is situated in the building that was used by Israel prior to the revolution.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)