The Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a missile strike in Tehran on Wednesday.
Khamenei warned that Israel will be “severely punished” for the assassination of the Hamas leader.
Most countries hroughout the region have blamed Israel for the attack, but the Jewish state has not made any official comments.
RT reports: Following the assassination, an X account translating and sharing Khamenei’s statements posted a message from the Iranian leader, saying: “following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge.”
In a separate statement, Khamenei promised “harsh punishment” for Israel over Haniyeh’s killing, claiming that “the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our house and made us bereaved, but it also prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also condemned the strike on Haniyeh’s residence in Tehran, vowing to defend the Islamic Republic’s territorial integrity, honor and dignity and make “the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action.”