Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was reportedly assassinated in Tehran, as announced by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday. However, no group has yet taken responsibility for the attack.
Immediately following the assassination, Israel was accused of the act, particularly after having vowed to eliminate Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the group’s October 7 assault on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and approximately 250 abductions, according to The Associated Press.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, is seen speaking to reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 28, 2021. (AP)
Iran has not disclosed the specifics surrounding Haniyeh’s death, and an investigation is currently underway.
Analysts on Iranian state media quickly attributed blame for the assassination to Israel.
Israel has not commented on the matter yet, as it typically refrains from making public statements regarding assassinations conducted by the Mossad intelligence agency.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
