Hamas Leader Killed in Iran

This is something we were not aware of or involved in.

Sec. of State Antony Blinken on the assassination of a high-profile Hamas leader in Iran.

Why It Matters: No person or country has taken responsibility for the attack of Hamas’ so-called political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, inside of Iran. This is the second high-profile terrorist leader recently targeted and killed this week, raising concerns of a greater conflict in the Middle East.

Haniyeh was in Tehran (Iran’s capital) attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president. Iran is one of four designated “state sponsors of terrorism” by the United States for funding and supporting terrorist operations, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Less than 24 hours earlier, on Tuesday, an Israeli strike killed a key Hezbollah leader in Lebanon. While Israel’s Defense Forces took responsibility for this attack, Israel has remained silent on the attack in Iran that killed a Hamas leader. A recent airstrike from Lebanon killed 12 young people in Israel and injured others; Israel blamed Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

Hamas is responsible for the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th. The U.S. designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997; the U.S. designated Ismail Haniyeh part of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” in 2018.

What’s At Stake: The following is quoting from The Wall Street Journal:

“We are on the verge of a large, large-scale escalation,” said Danny Citrinowicz, who served as head of the Iran branch for Israeli military intelligence and is now a fellow with the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. “Iran is leading the axis, and they cannot protect one of the leaders of the axis coming for Pezeshkian’s inauguration.”

…

Whether the killings this week will tip the balance is unclear. Israel is now bracing for responses both on its own territory and on Israeli and Jewish targets abroad, said former Israeli National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror. Iran in the past has targeted Israelis abroad and Hezbollah has targeted Jewish institutions internationally.

Iran may “try to find a weak point in the broader Israeli system, in Israel or abroad, and to use it against Israel,” Amidror said.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Response from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei: “Following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge.” (X)

More Context: From the U.S. Press Release in 2018: “Ismail Haniyeh is the leader and President of the Political Bureau of Hamas, which was designated in 1997 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and in 2001 as an SDGT.  Haniyeh has close links with Hamas’ military wing and has been a proponent of armed struggle, including against civilians.  He has reportedly been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens.  Hamas has been responsible for an estimated 17 American lives killed in terrorist attacks.”

Read More: Sec. of State Blinken’s response (The New York Times)

Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ international face, was marked for death by Israel over the October 7 attack (The Associated Press)

Hamas Political Leader Ismail Haniyeh Killed in Iran (The Wall Street Journal)