DHAKA: The Hamas movement has ‘resumed’ relations with Iran after a temporary falling out over the Syrian conflict.

A senior Hamas member of the Islamist group said Monday, TDS publishes this report on Tuesday.

‘Relations between Hamas and Iran have resumed,’ Mahmoud Zahar told reporters at a news conference in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave ruled by Hamas since 2007.

Ties had been ‘affected by the Syria situation, and Hamas has withdrawn from Syria so that it can’t be identified with this or that side,’ he said.

‘We’ve confirmed we are not interfering in the Syrian case, or in any other Arab country.’

Iran had long supported Hamas against their shared enemy Israel.

But exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal left his base in Damascus after the Syrian uprising broke out in 2011, criticising president Bashar Assad, a key ally of Iran, and moved to Qatar.

But Zahar denied there had been a complete severing of ties.

BDST: 1628 HRS, DEC 10, 2013