Iran announced on Saturday that Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran by a "short-range projectile" fired from outside his accommodation. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused Israel of being responsible for the attack and claimed that the United States supports Israel.
Haniyeh, who was 62 years old, had attended the swearing-in of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on July 31. Haniyeh was the head of Hamas’s political bureau and had been living in Qatar. Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.
This killing is the second major incident involving an Iran-linked leader since July 30. Earlier, top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut.
These recent events have intensified regional tensions amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which involves Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death and warned that Israel will face "severe punishment" at a later time and place.
In response to these escalating threats from Iran and its allies, the United States announced it will send additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East.
