Conflicting stories are swirling about how Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed—was it a bomb, a missile, or both? The New York Times initially reported that Haniyeh was taken out by a bomb planted months earlier in his guesthouse. However, this claim is disputed by eyewitnesses and analyses from GGI, which suggest a different scenario. Adding to the confusion, the Telegraph now says that Israeli intelligence, Mossad, hired an Iranian agent to plant the bombs, but the details remain murky and unverified.
The plan was to take Haniyeh out in May during a large funeral for Iran’s former president, Ebrahim Raisi. But with so many people around, the mission seemed too risky to execute. So, Mossad changed their strategy.
Instead, they hired Iranian security agents to plant explosives in a guesthouse used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran. This guesthouse was where Haniyeh was expected to stay. The agents, who were from a unit known as Ansar al-Mahdi, moved in and out of various rooms of the building, setting up bombs without drawing attention. They left Iran afterward, but had a contact inside the country reports the Telegraph.
At 2 a.m. on a Wednesday, the agents triggered the explosives from abroad, targeting the room where Haniyeh was staying. The blast killed him. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had just taken office.
This operation was a huge embarrassment for the IRGC. An official called it a major security failure, and the IRGC is now trying to figure out how it happened and who should be blamed. The commander of the IRGC Quds force, Esmail Qaani, is furious and is calling for severe punishments. The Supreme Leader of Iran is demanding answers and is focusing more on addressing this security failure than on seeking revenge.
In the aftermath, there’s talk of retaliation against Israel, possibly involving Hezbollah and other Iranian allies. This incident has heightened fears about how deeply Israel can reach into Iranian affairs.
Interestingly, the assassination coincided with President Pezeshkian’s first day in office. Pezeshkian had promised to change Iran’s approach to international relations, moving away from aggressive policies. Some believe this attack was meant to undermine his new presidency, reflecting resistance from parts of the IRGC who disagree with his diplomatic stance.
Despite the chaos, Pezeshkian’s son has stated that Iran’s focus should be on internal issues like poverty and corruption, rather than engaging in conflict with Israel. He suggests that improving Iran’s domestic situation is the best way to counteract Israel’s actions.
