Blinken: The U.S. Was Unaware of the Killing of Ismail Haniyeh and Had No Involvement

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the United States had no involvement in the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and was unaware of it. Mr. Blinken stated on Wednesday, August 1, during an interview with "Asia News Channel" while visiting Singapore, "This is something we were not aware of and had no involvement in. Speculating about this matter is very difficult." In response to a question about the potential impact of Haniyeh's death on the war, he said, "I have learned over the years never to speculate about the impact of one event on another." Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed on Wednesday that the United States bears responsibility for Haniyeh's death in Tehran due to its support for Israel. Earlier, Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, refrained from commenting on Haniyeh's killing but emphasized that "war is not inevitable"; however, if Israel is attacked, the U.S. will certainly assist in its defense. Austin, during his visit to the Philippines, responded to a journalist's question regarding Israel's potential role in the attack in Tehran and whether the U.S. was aware of its execution plans, stating that the U.S. had heard reports on this matter but would not comment on the details. He reiterated that "war is not inevitable" and that there is "space and opportunity" for diplomacy, expressing hope that all parties would strive to utilize "these opportunities." Additionally, he confirmed that if Israel is attacked, "we will certainly assist in defending Israel," referring to U.S. support for Israel in April and stating, "We will do this again." This refers to Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel in April and U.S. assistance in defending Israel. However, he emphasized that the U.S. would strive to take necessary actions to reduce tensions and resolve issues through diplomatic channels. The Tasnim news agency reported early on Wednesday, August 1, citing the Revolutionary Guards, that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, was killed in Tehran. The Al-Arabiya news agency, affiliated with Saudi Arabia, claimed in a report citing an informed source that Haniyeh was killed in Tehran by a direct missile strike. No official authorities or news agencies have confirmed this claim yet. The public relations office of the Revolutionary Guards announced that Haniyeh's residence in Tehran was struck, resulting in the deaths of Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards. The Guards stated that this incident occurred early Wednesday and specified the location as Haniyeh's residence in Tehran. They did not provide further details regarding the nature or party responsible for the strike. Following this incident, the terrorist group Hamas also expressed condolences for the death of its political bureau chief. Hamas identified Israel as the perpetrator of Haniyeh's killing but did not provide evidence for this claim. Ismail Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas member, stated that Haniyeh's killing was a "cowardly act" and would not go unanswered. The public relations office of the Revolutionary Guards confirmed that Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed on August 1 in Tehran. The Israeli army refrained from commenting on Haniyeh's killing in Tehran. After Iranian state media reported that Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed in Iran, the Israeli army told CNN that it "does not respond to foreign media reports." In a separate statement, Hamas announced that Haniyeh was killed during an attack they claim was carried out by Israel on his residence in Tehran after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Iranian president. Haniyeh was one of the senior leaders of this terrorist group, having joined Hamas in the late 1980s and advanced through its ranks over the decades. Ismail Haniyeh, also known as Abu al-Abd, was 60 years old and a senior leader of the "Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas." He became the new head of Hamas in 2017, succeeding Khaled Meshaal. He attended the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Tuesday, August 1, warmly embraced the new president of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, and then visited Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, along with Ziad al-Nakhala. Domestic media and Arabic news sources claimed that Ismail Haniyeh was killed at 2 a.m. on Wednesday at his residence in Tehran. Al-Arabiya reported that Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for Pezeshkian's inauguration, was killed. He had met with Ali Khamenei the day before. A Hamas official stated to Reuters that Haniyeh's killing in Tehran would not serve Israel's goals, adding, "Hamas is strong enough to endure the death of any of its leaders. We are in an open war with Israel and are ready to pay any price."