TEHRAN — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged “a hard and painful” response for Israel after confirming the death on Wednesday of the Hamas movement’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was visiting the capital, Tehran.
Blaming Israel for Haniyeh’s death, the IRGC said in a statement that revenge will be exacted by Iran as well as “the resistance front,” an umbrella term that Tehran applies to a network of Middle East proxies it has been funding and arming to fight Israel and target American interests in the region.
The IRGC was in charge of the Hamas official’s security and protection as he was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with leaders and senior members representing other Tehran-backed militant organizations, such as Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah.
Half a day into the killing, the IRGC released few details on the circumstances under which it had occurred. With no images out yet on possible debris or casualties, the IRGC announced only that the attack had been carried out by a “projectile,” without specifying the type or the origin. The military and intelligence organization said it was still investigating the targeted assassination, which took place at a “special” north Tehran residence where Haniyeh was hosted.
