Iran’s state media announced on Tuesday night that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a strike on Iran’s capital city, Tehran, following the international terror leaders attendance at the inaugural ceremony for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s new figure-head president.
Haniyeh, 62, had led the Palestinian terrorist organization responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel for nearly two decades, and he was chiefly responsible for maintaining the terror group’s close ties with state partners, top among them the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In 2018, the Trump Administration designated Haniyeh as a global terrorist, and Israel placed the terror boss high on its target list following the Oct. 7 attacks, which left more than 1,000 Israeli civilians dead and several hundred kidnapped.
Israel released no official comment about the sudden death of Haniyeh. However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Shia Muslim cleric who effectively rules Iran through a theocratic dictatorship, quickly blamed the Jewish nation.
“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our homeland and left us bereaved, but it also set the ground for a harsh punishment for itself,” Khamenei said following the attack.
Iran said that Haniyeh, who normally resides, in Qatar, was targeted inside the temporary residence where he was staying for the inauguration of Iran’s new figure-head president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who was installed after the previous president died in a mysterious helicopter crash earlier this year.
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The strike also killed an Iranian bodyguard protecting the terrorist leader.
Although details on the strike remain scant, some outlets suggest that it was carried out by a drone, although it remains unclear how a drone was able to circumvent all security measures in the Iranian capital.
While Israel has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it would be consistent with their previous actions and their promise to assassinate anyone in any way responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks, without regard for national borders or international law.
The targeted attack comes three months after the Iranian military launched an estimated 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles into Israel — the vast majority of which were disabled or destroyed with Israel’s Iron Dome system over other electronic defensive measures.
After the attack on Haniyeh, the U.S. was quick to deny any foreknowledge of or involvement in the attack.
“First, this is something we were not aware of or involved in,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Despite denying U.S. involvement in the attack, Blinken did not condemn the assassination and refused to speculate on the impact it will have on stability throughout the Middle East.
“I’ve learned over many years never to speculate on the impact that an event has had on something else. So I can’t tell you what this means,” said Blinken.
The apparent assassination comes as Israel is facing increased tension with Hezbollah in Lebanon, just hours after Israel struck a Hezbollah chief in Beirut in retaliation for a strike, which Hezbollah denies carrying out, on the Golan Heights that killed 12 children.
The death of Haniyeh drew harsh condemnation from numerous nations, including Russia, China, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, among others.
The attack is likely to halt, or at least seriously hinder, any attempts at establishing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and will likely further destabilize the region.
Shortly after the attack, Iran declared a three-day period of national mourning and raised its red flag of vengeance over the Jamkaran Mosque.
Iran has vowed a “harsh, painful” response, although it is unclear what form that response will take, or if it will mirror the April attack on Israel in which Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="29752 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=29752">2 Comments
“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime…” He’s right about that.
Israel takes out barbaric terrorists and we coddle the three 9/11 conspirators with a plea deal. This treasonous administration has got to go.