Iran Vows Retaliation For Assassination Of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh

A senior Iranian military official has stated that Tehran views avenging the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh as a duty. Esmaeil Qa’ani, commander of the Quds Force within Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, made these remarks in a letter congratulating Yahya Sinwar on his appointment as the new Hamas chief, according to Iranian state media IRNA.

Qa’ani expressed Iran’s commitment to avenging Haniyeh’s death, describing it as a “bitter” incident that demands retribution. “We consider it our duty to avenge the blood of Haniyeh,” Qa’ani said in his message.

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The Quds Force commander also emphasized that the “heroic struggle” of resistance groups would amplify the impact of any retaliation. Hamas announced on Tuesday that Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza since 2017, would succeed Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran last week.

Yahya Sinwar, who spent over 20 years in Israeli prisons before his release in a 2011 prisoner exchange, is regarded by Israel as a key figure behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Haniyeh, who had been invited to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony on July 30, was killed along with his bodyguard when their residence in Tehran was struck the following day. Iran has accused Israel of orchestrating the attack and has vowed to deliver a “harsh and painful response.”