The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to take revenge for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination on Wednesday, July 31, in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
The Iranian and Hamas officials said that Haniyeh was killed in the Israeli air strike targeting his residence in Tehran, where he was staying after attending the inauguration of the new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday.
According to CNN, Khamenei, while referring to Israel, said, “You killed our dear guest in our house and now have paved the way for your harsh punishment. We consider it our duty to seek revenge for his blood, as he was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The top leader of Iran also pledged to ‘severe punishment’ in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment.”
Moreover, the Iranian president also paid an emotional tribute to Haniyeh, saying, “Today, Iran is mourning its sharer of sorrows and joys, the proud companion of the path of resistance, the brave leader of the Palestinian resistance, the martyr of al-Quds, Haj Ismail Haniyeh. Yesterday I raised his victorious hand, and today I have to carry him on my shoulders to bury.”
Masoud Pezeshkian emphasised that the country would defend its territorial integrity and would make the culprits regret their attack.
