Palestinian PM makes first Iran visit

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has arrived in Iran for talks as part of his first foreign tour at the head of the Hamas government, sources close to the Iranian presidency said, AFP reported.

Haniya was welcomed by Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi Thursday and was expected to meet supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit.

Iran, like Haniya's Islamist group, refuses to recognise Israel. It is a vocal backer of the Hamas-led Palestinian government and has handed it $120 mln in aid since the administration was formed in March.

Hamas has sought to bolster ties with its regional allies as it desperately seeks to replenish the Palestinian treasury after Western countries froze aid when the party took office.

Haniya's visit comes after the collapse of talks between Hamas and the secular Fatah faction of president Mahmoud Abbas on forming a government of national unity and ending the aid blockade.

His tour has already seen Haniya visit Qatar, Bahrain and Syria.

As they attended the opening of the Asian Games in Doha, Haniya was told by Ahmadinejad that Israel was "on the slope of disappearance".

Although no official programme has been released, Haniya's visit is expected to last at least until Friday, with Ahmadinejad away from the capital Thursday on the final day of a regional tour.