Iran reconciles with Islamic Jihad: DEBKAfile sources

After a two-year rift between Islamic Jihad and Iran that resulted in the halting of Tehran's military and financial aid to the terrorist organization, a reconciliation agreement was reached this week between the two sides in the Iranian capital, DEBKAfile's sources report. The dispute began when Islamic Jihad refused to back Iran's policy of support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, and rejected Iran's request to send members of the organization in Syria and Lebanon to fight alongside pro-Iranian militias in Syria.
The reconciliation was reached when Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah arrived in Tehran with a large delegation from the organization's leadership and met Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.   
The renewal of Iran's financial aid to Islamic Jihad was announced during the meeting.
DEBKAfile: The main mediator between the two sides was the leadership of Hizballah in Lebanon. The full renewal of aid came after Iran, under Hizballah pressure,  partially renewed the support in March. Hizballah is interested in maintaining its close ties with Islamic Jihad in order to ensure influence on Palestinian affairs and a foothold in Gaza.
During a public appearance in Tehran, Islamic Jihad leader Shalah said "defending Palestine is defending Islam." In other words, Iran, not ISIS, is the defender of Islam.