Bansri Shah, Pune
Hamas chief, Ismail Hainyeh, was assassinated in Tehran, Iran on Wednesday, July 31 by a pre-dawn airstrike. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, has promised to avenge his death by giving orders to attack Israel, as reported by New York Times.
Both, Iran and Hamas, have accused Israel of the assassination but this has not been directly addressed by Israel.
Iranian military leaders are contemplating a coordinated drone and missile strike on military targets near Haifa and Tel Aviv along with a broader offensive with allied forces from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Khamenei has given orders to the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian army to plan for an attack in case of escalation of the conflict or potential for increased intervention from the United States. This decision has also been backed by Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly elected President of Iran and other officials from the foreign ministry and the Guards. For them, this act follows the right to protect the country’s sovereignty.
Vedant Patel, the United States’ state department’s spokesperson, has released a statement on Iran’s declaration to retaliate. He has stated the position of the States on their support for a defence against Iranian threats and promising to take action, if any attacks do occur.
Hainyeh’s death came hours after he attended the swearing-in ceremony for Masoud Pezeshkin by a missile attack at the guesthouse where he was staying. Press TV, run by the state of Iran, has reported that Khamenei will be the one leading funeral prayers for Hainyeh. This attack on Hainyeh has been of a great loss to the Hamas offensive, putting the Palestinian cause to a significant setback.
Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran chapter of the International Crisis Group, said that Iran likely feels compelled to retaliate to prevent any other Israeli attacks beyond merely defending its sovereignty and maintain its credibility with its allies.
While Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has not officially commented on Hainyeh’s assassination, he stated on Wednesday evening that Israel has dealt significant blows to Iran and its allies which include Hamas and Hezbollah. He also promised retaliation to any attack they suffer at the hands of Iran.