Iran pledges to avenge Hamas leader’s killing in Tehran

Iranian leadership has vowed to avenge the killing of Hamas’ political leader in Tehran. Ismail Haniyeh was killed by an air strike in Tehran on Wednesday morning. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced today that because the attack took place in Tehran, “we consider his revenge as our duty”. Iran’s newly-elected moderate President Massoud Pezeshkian who was sworn in on Tuesday, also pledged to avenge the attack in Iran’s soil. Pezeshkian said his country would defend its territorial integrity and honour, and make the “terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action”. Ismail Haniyeh had been a VP guest of Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony and was killed by an airstrike at a “residence in Tehran”. His funeral will be held in Tehran tomorrow, according to Hamas sources. A senior Hamas official described Haniyeh’s killing as a “cowardly act that will not go unpunished”. Mediators Qatar and Egypt warned it would set back talks on a ceasefire and a deal to release hostages held in Gaza. The killing of Haniyeh came only hours after Israel said it had killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Although, Iran and Hamas have attributed the attack to Israel, the Israeli government has refused to comment on the Hamas leader’s death. It should be noted that Israel vowed to kill all Hamas leaders after the 7 October attacks. Speaking after the assassinations, the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said the Biden administration was “doing things to take the temperature down” but would come to Israel’s defence if it were attacked.