Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi kisses the Koran during his swearing-in ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran, August 5, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/via REUTERS

i24 News – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, fresh from his swearing-in, met on Friday with representatives from the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups.

This coincided with dangerous escalations on Israel’s norther and southern borders, which it shares with territories controlled by the two terrorist groups.

Ismail Haniyeh headed the delegation of senior Hamas officials, who were also present at Thursday’s ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, which saw Raisi officially crowned as the Islamic Republic’s head of state.

A delegation sent by the Islamic Jihad terrorist group, the main rival of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was also in attendance at Raisi’s swearing-in ceremony and was expected to meet with him later.

Shortly thereafter, Raisi met with Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s second-in-command, hours after the Lebanon-based Iranian proxy launched a volley of rockets on southern Israel.

Following the attack, and the Israeli retaliation, Qassem said that he did not believe that “the situation would escalate but Hezbollah is ready at any time to defend Lebanon against any Israeli aggression.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched incendiary devices into Israel, sparking four blazes. Gaza balloon unit Ahfad An-Nassar claimed responsibility for the launches, saying it attacked Israel “in solidarity with Lebanon.”