Hamas’ Haniyeh killed by explosive device hidden in Tehran guesthouse: Report

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device smuggled into a guesthouse in Tehran, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing Middle Eastern and US officials.

The bomb, hidden in the guesthouse approximately two months prior, was remotely detonated once Haniyeh was confirmed to be inside his room, the report said.

The guesthouse, located in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran and part of a compound known as Neshat, is run and protected by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to the report.

Haniyeh had stayed at the guesthouse several times during his visits to Tehran, it added.

US officials believe that Israel was behind the assassination, and Israeli intelligence officials briefed the US and other Western governments shortly after the incident, the report said.

While Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of orchestrating the killing, Israel has not claimed responsibility.

The New York Times cited three Iranian officials as describing the attack as a “catastrophic failure” of Iran’s intelligence and security and a “tremendous embarrassment” for the IRGC, which uses the compound for retreats, secret meetings, and hosting prominent guests like Haniyeh.

Haniyeh had been in Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

The IRGC said Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed after their residence in Tehran was hit.

The New York Times, citing Iranian officials, reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike against Israel.

Khamenei vowed retaliation on Wednesday, saying that avenging Haniyeh’s death was Iran’s duty, given that it occurred on Iranian soil.