Iran vows "harsh punishment" after Haniyeh’s assassination
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More news: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed "harsh punishment" following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iranian state media reported. Khamenei said Iran was duty-bound to avenge Haniyeh, whose killing, while he was attending the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president, he attributed to Israel.
What they said: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Qatar, a mediator in Gaza cease-fire talks, to persist despite the escalation. The assassination of Haniyeh and a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon recent days has heightened tensions and complicated cease-fire negotiations. The killing risks Hamas withdrawing from talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.
Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, asked on social media: “Can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side? Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life.”
At a press conference, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said: “we have to ask for ways to de-escalate the tensions and avoid a war, which would have an impact on the whole region and beyond.” Borrell also called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza to enable humanitarian access, release hostages, and advance towards a two-state solution for lasting peace.
Meanwhile, oil prices surged due to uncertainties surrounding regional violence and supply disruptions, with some analysts voicing fears of further escalation.
Top Hamas official assassinated in Iran
The news: Hamas’ top political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in Tehran, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has confirmed.
The context: No one has claimed responsibility for the killing, though Israel has repeatedly vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas commanders responsible for the October 7 massacre. Iran provided few details on how Haniyeh, who had vowed to repeat the attacks, was killed but said his residence had been “struck”.
Israel is also suspected of carrying out assassinations in Iran, after the country’s top nuclear scientist was killed near Tehran in 2020.
It comes as tensions mount in southern Lebanon, with fears Israel is set for an all-out war with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel said on Wednesday that it killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander in an airstrike on Beirut, saying he was responsible for a rocket attack which killed 12 children in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.
Fuad Shukr was also suspected of masterminding a 1983 bombing attack on US troops, which killed more than 300 people.
What they said: In a statement, the IRGC said: “Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his and one of his bodyguards' martyrdom. The cause is under investigation and will be announced soon”.
The source: IRGC statement
