Tehran: The leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran, as reported by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday morning.
Responsibility for the assassination was not immediately claimed, but suspicion quickly turned to Israel, which had previously threatened to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages.
Haniyeh was present in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. The details of Haniyeh’s assassination were not disclosed by Iran, and the Revolutionary Guard has stated that the incident is under investigation.
Iranian state television analysts promptly pointed to Israel as the perpetrator of the attack.
Israel has not made any immediate statements, which is common for actions attributed to its Mossad intelligence agency.
The White House has not yet responded to the incident. This assassination occurs during a sensitive period, with the Biden administration working towards a temporary cease-fire and a hostage-release agreement between Hamas and Israel.