Iran held funeral processions demanding revenge after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israel.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers for Haniyeh on Thursday and warned of a “harsh punishment” for his killing.
Thousands of mourners with posters of Haniyeh and Palestinian flags gathered at Tehran University for the ceremony.
Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed on Wednesday in a strike on their Tehran residence, shortly after Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, increasing fears of a regional conflict.
Israel has not commented on the Tehran attack.
The international community has urged de-escalation and efforts toward a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes in Tehran and Beirut a “dangerous escalation,” emphasising the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives taken during the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, which initiated nearly 10 months of conflict.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel’s war on Gaza has resulted in at least 39,480 deaths and 91,128 injuries.
