Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was executed by Israel with support from the "criminal" US government. According to Reuters, the IRGC stated that Haniyeh was killed by a "short-range projectile" with a 7 kg warhead, which caused a powerful explosion outside his residence in Tehran.
The IRGC's statement detailed that "based on investigations and analyses conducted, this terrorist operation was carried out with the firing of a short-range projectile equipped with a warhead weighing approximately 7 kilograms, accompanied by a powerful explosion, from outside the vicinity of the guests' residence."
Earlier reports suggested that Haniyeh was assassinated using an explosive device covertly hidden in the guest house where he was staying. The Revolutionary Guards have vowed severe revenge, warning that Iran's response will be "severe" and executed at an appropriate time, place, and manner. This has raised fears of a broader regional conflict in the already tumultuous Middle East, exacerbated by the ongoing war in Gaza.
"The blood of martyr Ismail Haniyeh will be avenged, and the adventurous and terrorist Zionist regime will receive a harsh punishment," the IRGC declared.
Haniyeh, who was leading Hamas's political operations from exile in Qatar, was killed after his residence was targeted in Tehran at 2 am on July 31, following his attendance at the inauguration of Iran's newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran. While Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, the situation has escalated tensions.
In response to potential retaliatory attacks, the United States and Israel are preparing for possible strikes from Iran and its allies. A senior Israeli official indicated that the intelligence community is expecting a broad missile attack on Israel. The US has deployed additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East, with further ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers being arranged, according to Pentagon officials.
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