The assassination of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh was “planned and carried out” by Israel with support from the US, using a short-range projectile, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday, international media reported.
In a statement, the IRGC condemned the assassination as a “terrorist crime” and promised “severe punishment.”
Haniyeh was assassinated early Wednesday at his residence in Tehran in an attack that Iranian officials attributed to Israel. His bodyguard was also killed.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
His funeral was led by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday morning, followed by a large procession. He was laid to rest on Friday in Doha, Qatar.
The IRGC stated that the investigation revealed the “terrorist operation” involved firing a short-range projectile with a 7kilogram (15.4-pound) warhead, causing a large explosion, from outside Haniyeh’s residence.
The IRGC vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death and promised Israel a “decisive response at the appropriate time, place, and manner.”
Tensions are high as there is speculation that Iran is preparing a significant military response to Haniyeh’s assassination, possibly larger in scale than the response to the attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus in April.
Khamenei, reacting to the incident on Wednesday, stated that Iran considers it a duty to “avenge the guest’s blood,” promising “severe punishment.”
President Pezeshkian also condemned the assassination and pledged to “defend the country’s territorial integrity, honour, and dignity.”
