Iran says the United States bears responsibility in the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran because of its support for Israel.
Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the killing. He said it’s Iran’s duty to avenge the assassination of Haniyeh, who was in the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“We consider it our duty to avenge his blood in this bitter and difficult incident that happened in the territory of the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei said.
Iran’s top security body is expected to meet to decide Iran’s strategy in reaction to the death of Haniyeh, a close ally of Tehran, said a source with knowledge of the meeting.
The 62-year-old was assassinated in a “raid on his residence in Tehran” after he attended the inauguration ceremony for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian,
Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Iran, Palestinian group Hamas said, drawing fears of a wider escalation in a region shaken by Israel’s offensive in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the death of Haniyeh, hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for the country’s new president, and said it was investigating.
They added that one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards was also killed in their residence in Tehran early on Wednesday.
A former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaie, warned that Israel would “pay a heavy price” for assassinating Haniyeh in Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the United States was “not aware of or involved in” the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Haniyeh’s son, Abdul Salam, said his father “survived four assassination attempts during his patriotic journey, and today Allah has granted him the martyrdom that he always wished for”.
“He was very keen to establish national unity and strived for the unity of all Palestinian factions and we affirm that this assassination will not deter the resistance, which will fight until freedom is achieved,” he said.
The news, which came less than 24 hours after Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah commander it said was behind a deadly strike in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, appears to set back chances of any imminent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told.
“We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives. Hamas is a concept and an institution and not persons,” he said.
Zuhri vowed Hamas would continue the path it was following, adding: “We are confident of victory.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of Haniyeh and Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank called for a general strike and mass demonstrations.
Abbas is a rival of Haniyeh but slammed the killing as “cowardly”.
Appointed to the Hamas top job in 2017, Haniyeh has moved between Turkiye and Qatar’s capital Doha, escaping the travel curbs of the blockaded Gaza Strip and enabling him to act as a negotiator in ceasefire talks or to talk to Hamas’ ally Iran.
The assassination of Haniyeh comes as Israel’s campaign in Gaza approaches the end of its 10th month with no sign of an end to a conflict that has shaken the Middle East and threatened to spiral into a wider regional conflict.
After Haniyeh’s assassination, different countries gave their reactions:
Palestinian leaders: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the killing, as has Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. The secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein Al-Sheikh, also denounced it.
United States: The White House has seen the reports of Haniyeh’s killing, a spokesperson said, but declined to immediately comment further. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he does not think war in the Middle East is inevitable, but if Israel were to be attacked, the US would help defend it.
Qatar: Qatar, which hosts the political bureau of Hamas that Haniyeh led, called Haniyeh’s killing a “heinous crime” and a “dangerous escalation”.
China: Beijing “firmly opposes and condemns the assassination” of Haniyeh, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, adding that “Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid further escalation of conflicts and confrontations.”
Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the killing, which he called a “treacherous assassination” and “despicable act.” He appeared to blame Israel in a statement in which he said “Zionist barbarism will not be able to achieve its goals now as it has failed to before.” The president added that Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people.
Syria: The government condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, accusing Israel of launching an attack against Iran that constitutes “a violation of international law.”
Pakistan: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered condolences to Haniyeh’s “family and the people of Palestine,” expressing “serious concern” over “growing Israeli adventurism in the region.”
Russia: Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov called Haniyeh’s killing “an absolutely unacceptable political assassination” while the foreign ministry warned of “dangerous consequences for the entire region,” urging state actors to “exercise restraint.”
