Middle East Tensions Escalate After Haniyeh Assassination

Hamas chief Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran
Hamas chief Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran. Credit | REUTERS

United States: Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran in the early hours of Wednesday, the Palestinian militant group and Tehran said – raising the prospect of renewed operations against Israel in an already volatile Middle East awash with the war in Gaza and tension in Lebanon.

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Islamic Revolution Guards Corps of Iran confirmed the death of Haniyeh after he attended a swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president hours before the incident and stated they were probing into it.

Haniyeh, usually a Qatari-based, has taken the front line of Hamas’s diplomacy as the war initiated by Hamas in assaulting Israel on October 7 was underway in Gaza, as Reuters reported.

He had been involved in world-facilitated, and thus indirect, negotiation meetings about a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

Warning by Hamas

The armed wing of Hamas also warned that committing such an act will “take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions.”

Iran responded by vowing to retaliate, holding three days of national mourning, and stating that the US holds the responsibility for the incident because of backing Israel.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated to the effect that Israel has provided the grounds for “harsh punishment for itself” and that it was Tehran’s responsibility to pay back the Hamas leader in the same coin since he was killed in Tehran, the Iranian capital.

No responsibility claim by Israel

Israel has not yet reported any comment about taking responsibility for the incident. However, the Israeli military said that it was assessing the situation but had not issued any new security guidelines for civilians.

According to a Reuters report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to consult with security leaders at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT).

Speaking at a business forum in Singapore, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to comment on the assassination of Haniyeh but stressed that it was necessary to conclude a ceasefire in Gaza to prevent the spread of aggression in the region.

He added, “I’m not going to speculate on what impact any one event might have on that, I’ve learned over many years.”

Qatar is brokering talks

Qatar has been playing the role of a broker to bring the talks to the table, aiming to halt the fights in Gaza along with Egypt, which also condemned the killing of Haniyeh and marked it as a dangerous escalation of the conflict.

According to Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as posted to X, “Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Reuters reported.