IRIA News

Following developments that shook the Middle East region, Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel, which it blamed for the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday. The White House, at the same time, expressed concerns about the heightened risk of a wider conflict, urging all parties to stop escalation.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “harsh punishment” and revenge against Israel over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. “We consider it our duty to take vengeance” for the death of Haniyeh, Khamenei said as he blasted Israel for attacking a “dear guest in our house.”

So far, Israel has not officially commented on the strike that killed Haniyeh in the early morning of July 31, 2024, in Tehran. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged recent military actions in a televised address.

Netanyahu stated that Israel had delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies, referencing the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon just hours before the Tehran strike. Netanyahu cautioned Israelis that “challenging days lie ahead,” signaling potential further escalation. “Since the strike in Beirut, we have heard threats from all sides,” Netanyahu said. “We are prepared for any scenario and we will stand united and determined.”

Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, a top negotiator in the ceasefire talks, was killed after he attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian. According to a senior Hamas official, the assassination occurred in the same building where Haniyeh had stayed during previous visits to Iran.

Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, reported that a missile hit Haniyeh “directly,” citing witnesses at the scene. The attack also killed three other Hamas leaders and several guards, leaving the group’s leadership in a “state of shock,” according to top Hamas officials.

Hours before the strike on Haniyeh, Israel confirmed the killing of Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Shukr, a senior Hezbollah leader, was believed to be responsible for a rocket attack that killed 12 people in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Hezbollah, however, has denied involvement in the attack.

The death of Shukr, whose body was found in the rubble of a residential building along with four others, including two children, is expected to provoke a response from Hezbollah. Historically, the Iran-backed group has retaliated against the killings of its senior members with rocket barrages into Israel.

Funeral processions in Tehran

A funeral ceremony for 62-year-old Ismail Haniyeh began in Tehran one day after his assassination. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led the funeral prayers, while crowds gathered in downtown Tehran, carrying portraits of Haniyeh and Palestinian flags at Tehran University.

After the prayers, massive crowds escorted the bodies of Haniyeh and his bodyguard, who was also killed in the strike on Wednesday, in a 5 km funeral procession through Tehran towards Azadi Square. Haniyeh is scheduled to be buried later in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where he had been residing during his exile period.

Thousands gathered in Iran for the funeral prayers for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran. Hamas and Iran both blamed Israel and vowed revenge. pic.twitter.com/8X0lC4srDz

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) August 1, 2024

Concerns over escalation

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby addressed reporters on Wednesday following the killing of Haniyeh, stating that although the situation is worrisome, Washington does not see an all-out regional conflict as imminent or inevitable.

“When you have events – dramatic events, violent events caused by whatever actor – it certainly doesn’t make the task of achieving that outcome any easier,” Kirby said during a daily briefing.

Kirby reaffirmed the U.S. belief in a “viable” process to reach a ceasefire to end over nine months of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, despite the setback caused by Haniyeh’s assassination. Haniyeh, a key figure in indirect ceasefire talks, was killed after attending the swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s new president. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Hamas confirmed his death.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a halt to the escalations in the Middle East and urged for a ceasefire in Gaza following the killing of the Hamas leader. Speaking in Mongolia, Blinken refrained from directly commenting on Haniyeh’s assassination, however, he emphasized the urgent need to prevent further conflict and suffering.

He stressed that achieving a ceasefire, which the U.S. is working towards with Egypt and Qatar, requires all parties to cease escalation and engage in dialogue.

Considering the escalating conflict, the United States has updated its travel advisory for its citizens urging them not to travel to Lebanon due to “rising tensions.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged “all parties” in the Middle East to stop taking escalatory actions that could plunge the region into further conflict and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, following Hamas top leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination blamed on Israel. pic.twitter.com/nPnkABAiis

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) August 1, 2024

Similarly, the UK Foreign Secretary has advised British nationals to leave the country. This has led to several airlines canceling flights to Beirut, with United, Delta, and British Airways anticipated to suspend flights to Tel Aviv as well.

The United Nations has also expressed concern over the situation, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning against a “dangerous escalation” of hostilities. The assassination of Haniyeh has sent shockwaves in the region. Hamas’s armed wing has vowed that Haniyeh’s death will “take the battle to new dimensions” and lead to significant repercussions.