BTN News: In a turn of events that threatens to plunge the Middle East into further conflict, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside representatives of Iranian-backed Palestinian militias, paid their respects on Thursday over the coffins of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard. The duo’s shocking assassination, attributed to Israel, has raised alarms over a potential escalation into a regional war.
The somber ceremony took place at the University of Tehran, where Khamenei prayed over Haniyeh’s coffin with Iran’s newly inaugurated President, Masoud Pezeshkian, by his side. State television broadcasted images of the coffins being transported through the streets on a truck towards Tehran’s Azadi Square, where crowds showered them with flowers. Following the funeral services in Tehran, Haniyeh’s remains are scheduled to be flown to Qatar for burial on Friday.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration. Photographs from The Associated Press showed the Hamas leader seated next to leaders of other insurgent groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. Iranian media also highlighted a notable embrace between Haniyeh and Pezeshkian, following Haniyeh’s earlier meeting with Khamenei.
Tragically, Haniyeh was killed just hours later in an airstrike that targeted a residence he used in the Iranian capital. Authorities are investigating the incident, but details remain scarce.
Israel had vowed retribution against Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following a deadly raid by the group in southern Israel on October 7, which ignited the ongoing Gaza conflict. The strike on Haniyeh came mere hours after Israel targeted a Hezbollah militia commander in Beirut, Lebanon.
Iran supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian insurgent groups engaged in the conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip. This backing has intensified the already volatile relations in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for restraint from all parties in the Middle East to prevent a new wave of conflict. Speaking from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Blinken urged countries to make wise decisions in the coming days, emphasizing that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is crucial to breaking the current cycle of violence and suffering. Notably, Blinken refrained from directly naming Israel, Iran, or Hamas in his remarks.
The specter of war between Iran and Israel loomed large in April when Israeli forces bombed the Iranian embassy in Damascus. This provoked a retaliatory response from Tehran, leading to an unprecedented exchange of fire on their respective territories. However, international efforts managed to contain the cycle of reprisals before it spiraled out of control.
In his inauguration speech, President Pezeshkian expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, stating, “Iran demands a world where no Palestinian child’s dreams are buried under the rubble of their home.” He further declared, “We envision a world where the proud Palestinian people are freed from occupation, oppression, imprisonment, and genocide.”
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh marks a critical juncture in Middle Eastern geopolitics. As tensions escalate, the region braces for the potential fallout of this high-profile killing, with hopes pinned on diplomatic efforts to stave off a broader conflict.
