Iran’s Revolutionary Guard stated that the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was carried out using a short-range projectile and accused the United States of supporting the attack, which they attributed to Israel, as reported by state TV on Saturday.
The Revolutionary Guard’s televised statement revealed that a rocket with a seven-kilogram (about 15-pound) warhead was used to target Hamas’ political leader’s residence in Tehran on Wednesday, causing significant destruction, although specific location details were not shared.
Haniyeh had been in Iran to attend the inauguration of the newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“The operation was planned and executed by the Zionist regime and supported by the U.S.,” declared the Guard’s statement, which also called for retaliation.
“The warmongering and terrorist Zionist regime will face severe consequences at the right time, place, and capacity,” the statement continued.
Israel had previously vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which ignited conflict in Gaza.
The assassination has raised concerns about escalating tensions in the region and the possibility of Iran and Israel engaging in direct conflict if Iran chooses to retaliate.
In April, Iran launched numerous missiles and drones at Israel, with the Jewish state claiming to have intercepted 99% of them. This came shortly after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria resulted in the deaths of two Iranian generals, marking the first instance of Iran directly launching a military assault on Israel, despite long-standing animosity dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran does not recognize Israel and provides support to anti-Israeli militant groups such as Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.
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