Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has accused the US of giving Israel permission to assassinate Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. In a message of condolence for the late Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on Wednesday, Khatib condemned the assassination and called it a “great loss” for the Islamic world.
Khatib stated that the assassination of Haniyeh, carried out by Zionist invaders with the US’s approval, demonstrated the cruelty of the Israeli regime. He also mentioned that Haniyeh was killed with a remotely detonated bomb smuggled into a guesthouse at a guarded compound run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC. The explosion reportedly caused partial collapse of an exterior wall of the building, killing Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards.
Tehran and Hamas have both accused West Jerusalem of carrying out the assassination; however, Israeli intelligence officials have not confirmed or denied these claims. In a recent call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the two leaders discussed “new US military deployments” to help Israel defend against all threats, including Iran and its “proxy terrorist groups” such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani has stated that Israel crossed an important red line by killing Haniyeh. He also pledged that Iran will “undoubtedly implement law and justice” in response to this act of aggression. Kani warned that if the terrorist criminals are not stopped, they will seriously endanger regional and international peace and security.
Haniyeh was buried earlier on Friday at a cemetery in Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar, where thousands of mourners attended his funeral. Russia has condemned the assassination of the Hamas leader, warning that it could worsen the already tense situation in the Middle East and undermine efforts to end the war in Gaza.