Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said Friday that the Islamic republic has been the supporter of the Palestinian nation and will not stop supporting the Palestinians, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Rahimi made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Friday. He said that defending the oppressed people, especially the Palestinian nation, is an important factor that has been seriously taken into account by the Islamic Republic, said IRNA.

Haniyeh, for his part, thanked Tehran's position towards the Palestinian nation, saying that the Islamic republic has been by the sides the Palestinians since the victory of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.

During his two-day visit, Haniyeh, who is heading a high- ranking delegation, will meet Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi and other senior officials on a number of regional matters including the Palestinian issue.