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JERUSALEM – The Iranian government, distracted with the country's escalating protests, has failed to send regular payments to a Palestinian terrorist group, causing a major financial crisis for at least one jihadist organization, WND has learned.

Top sources in the Islamic Jihad terrorist group told WND a major regular payment from Iran scheduled for receipt by the group last week has not yet arrived. The sources said the delay was caused by the unrest in Iran and that they were unsure when the money would be sent.

The sources would not reveal how the regular payments ordinarily were transferred, nor would they talk of the frequency of the payments or how much money is usually sent.

The sources said, however, Islamic Jihad is now in a major financial crisis because of the withheld Iranian payment.

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Islamic Jihad is backed primarily by Iran. The group is responsible for most of the suicide bombings inside Israel since 2004, as well as for scores of deadly shootings and rocket attacks fired from Gaza aimed at nearby Israeli population centers.

While Hamas – also backed by Iran – joined Palestinian politics in 2005, Islamic Jihad has differentiated itself by rejecting the political process and dedicating itself largely to what it calls Palestinian "resistance."

Still, according to sources in Islamic Jihad, the group this week reached out to the Hamas leadership in Syria for help in making regular salary payments to Islamic Jihad militants, as well as to agencies and associations run by Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

One Islamic Jihad source told WND, "Hamas replied that if they help with money, it comes with strings."

"Hamas wants political concessions from us in exchange for the money," the source added.

Islamic Jihad sources said no decision has been made as to whether to accept help from Hamas. The sources said Islamic Jihad is waiting for an urgent request for aid from Iran.

"If money is not sent one way or another, we may have to close some agencies and bureaus," said an Islamic Jihad source.

Deadly protests in Iran have been ongoing since the announcement 10 days ago of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election.

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