Iran Blames Short-Range Projectile for Haniyeh’s Death, Vows Retaliation

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has attributed the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh to a short-range projectile and accused the United States of supporting the attack, which it blamed on Israel, according to state TV.

The statement, which emphasized a call for retaliation, indicated that a rocket with a seven-kilogram (about 15-pound) warhead was used to target Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran on Wednesday, causing significant damage. The specific location of the residence was not disclosed.

Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the inauguration of newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“The action was designed and carried out by the Zionist regime and supported by the U.S.,” stated the Guard. They also warned that “the warmongering and terrorist Zionist regime will receive harsh punishment in the suitable time, place, and capacity.”

While Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in Haniyeh’s assassination, it had previously vowed to target him and other Hamas leaders following the group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, which ignited the war in Gaza.

This assassination has raised concerns about a broader regional conflict and the potential for direct confrontation between Israel and Iran if Tehran decides to retaliate.

When President Joe Biden was asked on Saturday night in Wilmington, Delaware, if he thought Iran would refrain from retaliating, he replied, “I hope so. I don’t know.”

In April, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, which claimed to intercept 99% of them. This attack occurred less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria killed two Iranian generals, marking Iran’s first direct military assault on Israel despite decades of hostility since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli militant groups, including Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.