Ismail Haniyeh, top leader of the Palestinian organization Hamas, speaks at a news conference in Tehran, Iran, March 26, 2024.
Majid Asgharipur | Reuters
Iranian officials have condemned an Israeli attack on Tehran that resulted in the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued separate statements earlier Wednesday confirming the death of Hamas’s longtime political leader and blaming Israel, but Israel has yet to comment on Haniyeh’s death. CNBC has reached out to Israel’s Foreign Ministry for comment.
According to Iranian official media reports, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and former Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohsen Rezaei respectively commented that Israel would “pay a heavy price.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that “the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime is ready to severely punish this action.” He added that since Haniyeh was killed in Iran, the implementation of Punishment is “our responsibility”. Tehran and other countries that do not recognize the state of Israel often refer to it as the “Zionist regime.”
Haniyeh, a former Hamas politburo chief, is seen as a relatively moderate figure within the group because he led ceasefire negotiations and was the face of the group’s regional diplomatic efforts. He was appointed leader of Hamas’ political wing in 2017 before going into exile in Qatar in 2019.
In 2018, the U.S. State Department designated Haniyeh a terroristcalling him a “supporter of armed struggle, including against civilians,” and claiming that Hamas’ actions resulted in “an estimated 17 Americans killed in terrorist attacks.”
Haniyeh’s death comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza intensifying. Just a day after Israel launched an attack on a densely populated area of ​​​​Beirut, the Israeli military said a senior commander of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with Hamas, issued a statement in response to Haniyeh’s death. “The martyrdom of leader Haniyeh will strengthen the determination and tenacity of resistance fighters in all areas of resistance to continue the path of jihad and make them more determined to fight against the Zionist enemy,” the organization said.
