Iran Leads Chorus of Condemnation of Hamas Leader Haniyeh’s Killing

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Iran’s leaders reacted with fury following a presumed Israeli missile strike on Tehran that eliminated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the early hours of July 31. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, who met in person with Haniyeh the previous day – warned that Israel had “prepared a harsh punishment for itself.” Khamenei praised Haniyeh for having been “willing to sacrifice his honorable life in this dignified battle for many years,” underlining his outrage that the terrorist chieftain had been killed while he was “a dear guest in our home.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — whose inauguration was attended by Haniyeh as well as other leaders of Iranian proxies around the region — faithfully echoed the supreme leader, noting: “Yesterday I raised [Haniyeh’s] victorious hand, and today I have to carry his coffin on my shoulders.” Separately, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani declared that Haniyeh’s death would only “strengthen the deep ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and dear Palestine and Resistance.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also issued a statement threatening that “this crime committed by the Zionist regime will be met with a harsh and painful response from the powerful and vast resistance front, particularly from Islamic Iran.” 

Further afield, both Hamas and Hezbollah — the Iranian-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon — vowed revenge. Hamas acknowledged that Haniyeh had been killed by a “Zionist strike” that would not “go unanswered.” In a statement, Hezbollah asserted that the “martyrdom of leader Haniyeh … will increase the determination and stubbornness of the mujahideen resistance fighters on all resistance fronts … and will make their resolve stronger in confronting the Zionist enemy.” Some Arab countries also condemned the killing, with Qatar — where Haniyeh was based and where he lived a luxurious lifestyle — describing the strike as “a heinous crime, a dangerous escalation, and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.” Jordan’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, called Haniyeh’s killing “a violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an escalatory crime that will push towards more tension and chaos in the region.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who feted Haniyeh in Ankara on numerous occasions, denounced the Hamas leader’s “perfidious assassination,” adding: “May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, fallen in martyrdom after this odious attack.” Russia and China also condemned the killing. “We resolutely condemn the attack that led to Mr. Haniyeh’s death,” Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said, while Konstantin Kosachev, the vice president of Russia’s upper house Federation Council, stated that he now expected a “sudden escalation of mutual hatred in the Near East.” A Chinese foreign ministry statement said that Beijing “condemns” and “opposes” Haniyeh’s assassination.

Expert Analysis

“Iran and its terrorist proxies are increasing their rhetoric threatening to attack Israel in the wake of Haniyeh’s killing. Haniyeh celebrated Hamas’s October 7 atrocities and called for more attacks on Israel in the wake of the massacre. Iran and its proxies — Hamas, as well as Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad — have been waging war against Israel for decades. They cannot pretend now that they are retaliating when they started the war.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“Throughout his tenure, Haniyeh cultivated relationships with nations and non-state actors that provide support for the group’s terrorist activities, including funding and weaponry. He also sought to legitimize and promote acts of terrorism, cloaking them in the guise of so-called ‘resistance’ against Israel. It must be recognized that there is no meaningful distinction between a Hamas member in a suit and one armed with a weapon; both support the same agenda.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Gallant: Israel is Prepared for ‘All Possibilities’

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers at an Arrow air defense site in Israel on July 31 in the wake of the killing of both Haniyeh and, a few hours earlier, Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. “We don’t want war, but we are preparing for all possibilities,” he said. Gallant noted that the Arrow system, which is the top tier of Israel’s multi-layered air defense array, has played a key role in intercepting threats from Yemen as well as the more than 300 projectiles Iran fired toward Israel on April 13-14. He referenced Israel’s airstrike in Beirut targeting Shukr on July 30, telling the assembled troops, “Your actions give us the confidence and space to make decisions. The operation tonight in Beirut was precise and professional.”

Related Analysis

“‘Axis of Resistance’ Leaders Attend Inauguration of Iran’s President,” FDD Flash Brief

“Israel Kills Most Senior Hezbollah Military Commander in Retaliatory Strike,” FDD Flash Brief

“Turkey’s President Threatens Military Action Against Israel,” FDD Flash Brief