Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday morning. Hamas has confirmed the high-profile assassination and has blamed Israel for it. In a statement issued shortly after the attack, Hamas described it as a treacherous Zionist raid. However, Israel has yet to comment on the killing of the Hamas leader.
Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reported that Haniyeh had been targeted at his residence, along with an Iranian bodyguard. They stated that he was in Iran to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian and are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
It remains unclear how Haniyeh was targeted—whether by a drone attack on his residence or a missile strike. Hamas, Iran, and the media have remained silent on this aspect.
It is also possible that the assassin may have entered his residence and killed him. The situation will become clearer as the investigation continues.
Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Meshaal, but was already a well-known figure having become Palestinian prime minister in 2006 following an upset victory by Hamas in that year’s parliamentary election.
