Iran raises tension with £30m gift to Hamas By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem (Filed: 17/04/2006) Iran defied America and Europe yesterday when it pledged to give almost £30 million to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government. The one-off payment from Teheran, which was announced by Manouchehr Mottaki, the Iranian foreign minister, will go some way to plugging the gap in Palestinian finances caused by the recent loss of western aid. Israel vowed to stop the money getting through - a viable proposition given how heavily Palestinian financial institutions rely on Israel. Mr Mottaki appeared to relish announcing the donation, which will...