Iran's IRNA news agency reported last week that four of the country's Members of Parliament plan to make their way to Gaza on Tuesday of this week. The four reportedly plan to enter Gaza via the Rafiah crossing on the Egyptian border.
However, the Egyptian paper Al-Masry al-Youm reports that Iranian officials in Cairo had no knowledge of the alleged planned trip. “This is the first time we've heard of the matter,” a representative at Iran's Special Interests Office told the paper.
The four MPs who may or may not attempt to enter Gaza this week were identified as Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, Aywaz Hayed Rabur, Shobaib Jouwairi, and Barwiz Sarouri.
In June, Iranian media outlets publicized a plan to send Iranian ships to Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade on Hamas. Several days later, officials announced that the ships' voyage had been indefinitely postponed.
Iran and Gaza are closely linked despite the difference in their religious regimes; Hamas is a Sunni Muslim organization, while Iran's regime adheres to the Shiite branch of Islam. Teheran arms and trains Hamas, and has announced plans to supply the group with long-range missiles in order to allow it to more accurately target Israeli cities.