Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has accused Israel of being behind the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, with the support of the United States, according to a statement broadcast on state TV. The Guard claimed that a short-range projectile with a 7-kilogram warhead was used to target Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran, causing significant damage.
Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the inauguration of newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian when he was killed. The Revolutionary Guard’s statement reiterated its call for retaliation, warning that the “Zionist regime” would face “harsh punishment” in due time.
The Guard’s statement did not provide details on the location of Haniyeh’s residence, but it emphasized that the attack was “designed and carried out” by Israel with US backing. Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in Haniyeh’s killing, but it has previously vowed to target Hamas leaders in response to the group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.
The assassination has raised concerns about the potential for a wider regional conflict and a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran. In April, Iran launched a massive missile and drone attack on Israel, which said it intercepted 99% of the projectiles. The attack was seen as a response to a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals.
Iran has long been a supporter of anti-Israeli militant groups, including Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and has refused to recognize Israel’s existence since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The country’s Revolutionary Guard has repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for its actions, and the killing of Haniyeh has raised the stakes in the already tense region.
