TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has promised “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Tehran, further escalating regional tensions amid Israel’s ongoing bombardments in Gaza and escalation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
In a statement on Wednesday, Khamenei condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law” and promised severe repercussions for Israel. “The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our house and made us bereaved,” Khamenei said, adding that “it also prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.”
Khamenei said, “It is our duty to avenge his blood in this bitter and difficult incident that happened in the territory of the Islamic Republic.”
The Iranian government has declared three days of public mourning in response to Haniyeh’s killing. A funeral ceremony is scheduled to take place in Tehran today, after which Haniyeh’s body will be transported to Doha, Qatar, for burial on Friday, according to a statement from Hamas.
The assassination occurred early Wednesday morning at a military residence in northern Tehran, where Haniyeh was staying while attending the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iranian state media reported that the attack was executed using an air-launched missile, resulting in Haniyeh’s death along with a bodyguard. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the incident as a “hit” on Haniyeh’s residence.
Iran’s IRGC condemned the attack as evidence of Israel’s disregard for international norms. “Undoubtedly, this crime of the Zionist regime will face a harsh and painful response from the powerful and huge resistance front, especially Islamic Iran,” the IRGC’s statement read.
The assassination of Haniyeh comes amid heightened regional tensions, particularly following recent attacks involving Israel, Hezbollah, and US forces. On Tuesday, Israel targeted a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, killing a senior commander, while a US strike in Iraq earlier this week targeted fighters, resulting in multiple casualties.
Hamas confirmed Haniyeh’s death, attributing it to an Israeli airstrike. The Palestinian group described the attack as a “Zionist strike” and declared that Haniyeh had been “martyred” during his visit to Tehran.
The incident has elicited strong reactions from regional actors. Qatar and Egypt, which have played key roles as mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, warned on Wednesday that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could significantly damage efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
Both nations highlighted how the recent escalation threatens to derail peace negotiations and exacerbate regional tensions.
On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani took to social media platform X to condemn the killing.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza, while talks continue, leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Al Thani wrote. He called for serious commitment from all parties and a global stance against the disregard for human life.
Similarly, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing what it described as a “dangerous Israeli escalation policy” over the past two days. The ministry stated that the timing of Haniyeh’s assassination, coupled with the lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations, has further complicated the situation.
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the statement read.
The Egyptian foreign ministry lamented that the assassination undermines the efforts made by Egypt and its partners to halt the ongoing conflict and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Since October, Israeli forces have killed more than 39,445 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza, the territory’s health ministry reported.
