Iran claims responsibility for short-range projectile that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reaffirms plans for revenge

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has attributed the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh to a short-range projectile while accusing the United States of supporting the attack, which they claim was orchestrated by Israel, as reported by state TV on Saturday. The Guard revealed that a rocket armed with a seven-kilogram warhead was used to strike Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran on Wednesday, causing significant damage without specifying the exact location. Haniyeh was visiting Iran to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

According to the Guard’s statement, the operation was executed by Israel with support from the United States, prompting a call for retaliation. They emphasized that the Zionist regime would face severe consequences at an appropriate time and place. Israel had vowed to eliminate Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, which triggered conflicts in Gaza.

The assassination has raised concerns about escalating tensions in the region and the possibility of a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel if Iran chooses to retaliate. Earlier in April, Iran launched numerous missiles and drones towards Israel, with the latter claiming to have intercepted 99% of them. This move came shortly after a suspected Israeli attack in Syria resulted in the death of two Iranian generals, marking the first instance of Iran directly launching a military offensive on Israel despite longstanding hostility dating back to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran’s longstanding stance of not recognizing Israel, coupled with their support for anti-Israeli groups like Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, underlines the complex dynamics at play in the region.