Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran, with Israel suspected to be behind the attack, marking the second high-profile killing in 24 hours. The details of the assassination are still unclear, but it has escalated tensions in the region, raising questions about how Hamas and Iran will retaliate. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu hinted at recent successful operations against multiple enemies without naming Haniyeh, while Iran and Hamas promised severe repercussions. This dramatic event could further deepen the conflict in the Middle East, especially with the threat of new attacks looming. Here is how Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh In Tehran.
Hamas’ political head, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed early on Wednesday morning in Iran, according to confirmation from Tehran’s authorities and the Palestinian terrorist organization. According to reports, Israel is responsible for Haniyeh’s death. This is the second assassination of its adversaries in as many days. A major concern at this point is how Iran and Hamas will react, although there are still many unanswered questions regarding the operation, including the precise method used to pinpoint and assassinate Haniyeh. In a moment, we will examine a few of the obvious options.
Iranian media reports that Haniyeh, who was usually based in Turkey and Qatar, was murdered on Wednesday at around 2:00 AM local time. The Revolutionary Guards of Iran affirmed that he was lodging at a “special residence” because of the war veterans in the north of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Since Hamas began its historic attack on Israel on October 7, which sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Haniyeh has gained more notoriety. Haniyeh, who was in charge of Hamas’ foreign affairs, was widely regarded as one of the organization’s more moderate top figures.
“In recent days, we delivered crushing blows to all of our enemies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a nationally televised address today. “In the strike yesterday, we eliminated [Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan] Nasrallah’s deputy, he was responsible for the murderous attack on Majdal Shams and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. We settled the score and we will settle the score with all those who massacre our citizens.”
Remarkably, neither Netanyahu’s name nor title alluded to Haniyeh.
The specifics of Haniyeh’s assassination method are still unknown. According to NourNews, a news source connected to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, an “airborne projectile” struck his house. The incident was described by the same source as “a dangerous gamble to undermine Tehran’s deterrence.”
Hamas, meanwhile, claims that Haniyeh was murdered in an “airstrike.” This term might refer to a broad range of weaponry, from long-range rockets launched from Israeli Air Force strike planes to small, locally launched drones carrying explosives.
Unverified reports speculate that a tiny quadcopter may have been used in the assassination; nonetheless, it would have needed to be launched a short distance from Haniyeh’s residence. It is a known capability of Israel to utilize small weaponized drones for urban operations, such as breaking into a specific building, as demonstrated in the video embedded below. Additionally, it would be obviously relevant in the killing of someone like Haniyeh who has been present in a certain building, even in a specific room.
This also raises the very real potential of using more conventional kamikaze drones or even non-line-of-sight (NLOS) anti-armor missiles for targeted operations. When the launch location and operator are kept well away from the target area, these weapons are capable of striking with remarkable precision.
Some allegations concern the employment of conventional airstrikes or long-range missiles. The Israeli Air Force has proven its capability to execute long-range strikes by targeting oil infrastructure in Yemen earlier this month. Additionally, its F-15I and F-16I combat aircraft, along with its F-35I stealth fighters, have been regularly launching precision strikes against other targets located deep within Syria and possibly Iran. Israel’s F-35Is can enter Iranian airspace as well, albeit it is quite improbable that they will fly to Tehran.
A viable, long-range air-launched option is provided by standoff munitions, which include a growing variety of air-launched ballistic missiles that can breach Iran’s air defenses and penetrate deep into the country. In retaliation for Tehran’s extensive drone and missile assault on Israel, the Israeli Air Force used this capacity to hit an S-300 SAM facility located deep within Iran. Another alternative is to use cruise missiles, which also include the conventional variant of Israel’s enigmatic “Popeye Turbo,” the furthest-reaching standoff weapon that is known to be in Israeli service.
Israel has a great deal of expertise in carrying out long-range attacks against its adversaries, but it has also employed novel means, such as targeted executions in Iran. Within Israel’s “cloak and dagger” playbook, the employment of drive-by shootings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other more rudimentary methods of assassination are also well-established. Israel has a well-established history of espionage in Iran, including massive intelligence-gathering operations—some of which are now famous—and occasional targeted assassinations over the years.
Furthermore, Israel certainly possesses a lot of capabilities that have not been made public. It does appear highly likely that a targeted drone or missile strike would occur, and this suggests that such assaults may become more frequent in the future. The War Zone has already examined in-depth the risks that drones, in particular, present as instruments for assassinations following an attempt on the life of Nicolas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela, in 2018 using an unmanned aircraft system.
Following the killing, Hamas released a statement claiming it would “take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions.” In the Gaza conflict, the group declared that it was “confident of victory.”
Iran has also declared that it will avenge the United States for its support of Israel and pledged revenge.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly stated that while his country was ready to tackle any situation, it did not want to see the Middle East crisis get worse.
There are now worries that there will be less likelihood of a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have mediated the ceasefire talks.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue to lead us to ask: How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, wrote on X.
In his speech, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out that Haniyeh’s murder was not the country’s first political assassination in the previous twenty-four hours.
Israel had earlier asserted that an airstrike in Lebanon had killed Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr. Since then, Shukr’s death has been confirmed by the extremist Lebanese group.
The attack on Beirut occurred just before Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was killed in the early hours of Wednesday in Iran, a revelation that has heightened concerns of a wider regional escalation. Hezbollah is a Hamas ally.
Hezbollah stated today that Shukr was inside a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs when an Israeli strike occurred. Although they did not disclose his whereabouts, the gang claimed that “a number of citizens” had died and others were injured.
A deadly missile attack that occurred on Saturday in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was attributed by Israel to Shukr.
Shukr “has the blood of many Israelis on his hands,” according to Israeli Minister of Defense Gallant. We have demonstrated tonight that there is a cost to the blood of our people and that our forces can reach any location to achieve our goal.
Even though Hezbollah denied being involved in the Golan strike, the developments have increased the likelihood that Israel and Hezbollah will go to war on a massive scale.
Ali Ammar, a legislator for Hezbollah, denounced Israel today for killing both Shukr and Haniyeh. “We are prepared for war, God willing because this enemy [Israel] demands it,” Ammar declared.
Legislators in Beirut, Lebanon, also voiced concerns about a massive counterattack by Hezbollah, which might employ its vast armament of drones and missiles.
Ziad Makary, Lebanon’s minister of information, stated today that his country does not want conflict, but he also mentioned that the government was worried that things would “spiral.”
On social media, there have also been unverified rumors that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Aerospace Forces (IRGC-AF), Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh was assassinated today in Damascus, Syria.
The loss of Haniyeh and Shukr poses a threat to intensify the Middle East conflict, particularly in light of Iran’s involvement. In particular, the death of Haniyeh on Iranian soil will surely put more pressure on Tehran’s regime to retaliate against Israel.
One or more campaigns by Iran’s Middle East proxies, such as Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and other armed organizations in Iraq, might be one form of this kind of response.
Defending his nation’s “territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said today to make sure that “the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act.”
In addition, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei demanded that Israel face “harsh punishment” and that Tehran had a responsibility to exact revenge on the Hamas leader who was killed in the Iranian capital.
Iran’s senior security officials have reportedly already convened to deliberate on a possible reaction to Haniyeh’s passing, according to Reuters. Although the operation was mainly neutralized by Israeli and coalition air defenses, Tehran had already launched a significant missile and drone strike at targets in Israel in April from its territory.
Emotions in the area have increased as we wait for additional information regarding the most recent assassination attempts. While the violence in Gaza continues, the situation in Lebanon has already begun to worsen. Iran has now threatened to exact retribution on Israel over the death of Ismail Haniyeh only compounding these issues.
UPDATE: 3:40 PM EST —
According to Christiaan Triebert of The New York Times, an examination of historical satellite imagery reveals that the image making the rounds on the internet indeed depicts the residence where Haniyeh was residing at the time of his death. The building in concern is close to the Sadabad Palace, a historical site that is also close to the Iranian president’s current official residence.
According to The New York Times, which cited three unidentified Iranian sources, including two IRGC officers, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has already approved an order to strike Israel in revenge for the Haniyeh assassination.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department upgraded its Level 3 travel recommendation for Lebanon to Level 4 (“do not travel”).
UPDATE: 6:45 PM EST —
A transcript of a correspondence purportedly written by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to his counterparts across multiple nations concerning the attack that claimed Fuad Shukr’s life has surfaced.
“In yesterday’s attack, Israel sent a clear message: we will harm with great force whoever harms us,” the missive reads. “The State of Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens.”
It continues, “Israel is not interested in an all-out war, but the immediate implementation of [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 is the only way to prevent it.” UNSC Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006, has never been put into effect and asks for “the establishment of a demilitarized zone” in southern Lebanon as well as a “full cessation of hostilities” between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to Iranian media, Milad Bedi, an advisor to Hezbollah for the IRGC, was also slain in the strike against Shukr.
According to The New York Times, Iran may be planning a massive missile and drone strike on Israel, modeled after the one it carried out in April, with a concentration on Tel Aviv and Haifa. Coordinating with Middle Eastern proxies may also be a component of the punitive strategy.
According to reports, Israel has already threatened to escalate further in response and is ready for a wide range of potential threats.
Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that the Middle East is on the brink of a major conflict after Israel’s dramatic assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a deadly airstrike on Hezbollah’s military chief in Beirut.
