The head of Tehran City Council has announced plans to support the reconstruction of Gaza during an upcoming meeting involving city council leaders.
Coming amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, which Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said will be "long and difficult", Mehdi Chamran said that a meeting is scheduled to discuss “strategies to prevent future Israeli bombings.”
His offer of aid to Hamas-run Gaza comes when ordinary Iranians are struggling to survive as the country grapples with one of its most severe economic crises. The national currency is at a historic low, causing unexpected poverty for tens of millions of Iranians.
Questions about taking the domestic budget abroad will likely raise questions among a population grappling for even the basics such as food and fuel.
The Islamic City Council of Tehran oversees the governance of the capital city. It plays a pivotal role in selecting the mayor and managing the budget of the Municipality of Tehran.
Recent developments have shed light on financial irregularities within the Tehran municipality. In May, Tehran City Council revealed nearly $400 million worth of financial discrepancies, highlighting a history of corruption cases in Tehran's municipal administration.