The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau, in an attack on his residence in Tehran. The incident also claimed the life of one of Haniyeh's guards.
The Palestinian group Hamas and Haniyeh's brother, Musa Abu Marzouk, accused Israel of orchestrating the "assassination”.
Abu Marzouk condemned the act as "cowardly" and vowed that it "will not go unanswered”.
In a statement, Hamas claimed that their political leader was killed in an "Israeli airstrike”.
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), citing the IRGC's public relations office, Haniyeh's residence was "hit" early Wednesday morning.
The IRGC's public relations office confirmed the incident in a statement but withheld details about the attack. They indicated that the cause and circumstances of the attack, along with Haniyeh's death, are under investigation, and results will be announced later.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Just hours before the attack, Hamas reported that Haniyeh had met with Pezeshkian to discuss the latest political and military developments in the Gaza conflict, expressing gratitude for Iran's support for the Palestinian people.
As of now, Israeli political, military, and security officials have not commented on Haniyeh's death. However, Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's Minister of Heritage, remarked that Haniyeh's death "makes the world a slightly better place”.
