Iran: Hamas leader killed by short-range missile

The leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran by a short-range missile with a warhead weighing approximately seven kilograms, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced on Saturday

The statement declared that Tehran’s retaliation for the attack would be “severe and carried out appropriately, at the right time and place,” and blamed Israel—described as the audacious and terroristic Zionist government—for Haniyeh’s death.

Details of the Attack

Ismail Haniyeh was murdered in Tehran, the capital of Iran, early on Wednesday morning while he was in the city for the inauguration of the country’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it is widely assumed to be behind it.

Speculations

Meanwhile, various theories are emerging regarding the method of the assassination.

Lebanese media outlet Al Mayadeen reported that Haniyeh’s killing in Tehran was carried out using a missile launched from one country to another, rather than from within Iran itself.

Smart Bomb?

In contrast, The New York Times reported that the assassination was carried out using a smart bomb planted in a military dormitory where Haniyeh was staying.

According to the American outlet, the bomb had been placed in the dormitory about two months prior. The dormitory managed and guarded by the Revolutionary Guards, is part of a large complex known as Neshat, located in an upscale neighbourhood in northern Tehran.