Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remarked after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, stating that Iran has a “duty to take revenge” for the incident.
Khamenei commented on his website, “The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime has martyred our esteemed guest in our midst and caused us sorrow, but it has also set the stage for its own severe retribution.”
“Martyr Haniyeh was dedicated to sacrificing his noble life in this honorable struggle for many years,” he continued. “He was ready to embrace martyrdom and had given up his children and loved ones for this cause. He did not shy away from the prospect of martyrdom in the name of God and to protect the lives of God’s servants. In light of this unfortunate and tragic event that transpired within the Islamic Republic’s borders, we see it as our obligation to take revenge.”
Haniyeh was in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.
HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH REPORTEDLY ASSASSINATED
Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei speaks to the media during the Parliament Elections in Tehran, Iran on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In response to the assassination, Iran’s administration has declared three days of mourning.
Khamenei posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday morning, revealing that he had met with Haniyeh and the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Ziyad al-Nakhalah.
Details surrounding Haniyeh’s death remain undisclosed, and the investigation is ongoing.
No parties immediately claimed responsibility for the assassination, but Israel was swiftly accused after it had vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the terrorist group’s attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of approximately 250 others.
While Israel did not offer immediate commentary, it typically refrains from public discourse regarding assassinations attributed to its Mossad intelligence agency.
HAMAS LEADER HANIYEH ASSASSINATION: FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS CONDEMN ATTACK
Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, speaks to reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon, June 28, 2021. (AP)
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In the aftermath of the assassination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a situation assessment meeting with defense leaders on Wednesday. Israel is ramping up security for Jewish institutions globally.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the U.S. government aims to reduce tensions but is prepared to assist Israel if it faces an attack.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri declared: “This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh represents a serious escalation intended to undermine the resolve of Hamas and our people to achieve false objectives. We assert that this escalation will not succeed.”
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, over 39,000 Palestinians have died, and more than 90,000 have been injured in the war in Gaza, although this count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
