Iran’s regime ‘will not commit suicide’ to avenge death of Hamas chief Haniyeh

August 2, 2024 Vaseline blog 0

Iran’s regime ‘will not commit suicide’ to avenge death of Hamas chief Haniyeh

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on Wednesday in a strike blamed on Israel. Iran has promised to avenge his death, sparking fears of a broader regional conflict stemming from the Gaza war. FRANCE 24 examines what kind of Iranian “response” can be expected.

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas and a leading figure in the Palestinian resistance movement, was killed on Wednesday in Tehran in a strike Hamas and Iran blamed on Israel.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination, although Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel had dealt “severe blows” to its “enemies” in recent days.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that “severe punishment” would be imposed on Israel following the assassination.

“We view it as our duty to avenge his martyrdom which happened within the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.

‘Justified’ concern

Asked about the chances for a regional escalation of the conflict, Clément Therme, a research associate at the International Institute of Iranian Studies and lecturer at Montpellier’s Paul-Valéry University, said such concern was “justified.”

Read more on FRANCE 24 English

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