Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, has reportedly been killed in an attack in Tehran, as reported by Iranian state-funded Press TV.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday, July 31, that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence in Tehran was struck. “Early this morning, the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was struck, resulting in his and one of his bodyguards’ martyrdom. The cause is under investigation and will be announced soon,” stated the IRGC.
Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of Iranian president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to a report by Reuters, Hamas confirmed that its leader was killed in Iran. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion quickly fell on Israel, which has vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group’s October 7 attack on Israel.
Hamas described Haniyeh’s death as a result of “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran” and mourned his passing. Analysts on Iranian state television also blamed Israel for the attack.
Israel did not immediately comment, but the country’s official handle on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), managed by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reshared a post by US politician Ritchie Torres. Torres had stated, “The leader of Hamas has been brought to justice. Permanently. A special place in hell is reserved for him.”
