Claim by Iran's UN Representative: The US is to Blame for the Death of Ismail Haniyeh; US: We Had No Involvement

While the United States emphasized on Wednesday that it had no involvement in the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and was unaware of it, the Iranian ambassador to the UN blamed the US and claimed that this incident could not have occurred without US authorization and intelligence support. Saeed Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, stated in his speech at the UN Security Council on Wednesday: 'The responsibility of the United States as a strategic ally and main supporter of the Israeli regime in the region cannot be overlooked in this heinous crime.' Iravani added: 'Israel had a political objective with this action and intended to disrupt the first day of the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which prioritizes strengthening peace and stability in the region and increasing cooperation and constructive engagement with the international community.' Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Wednesday that the United States had no involvement in the killing of Ismail Haniyeh and was unaware of it. In an interview with 'Asia News Channel' during his visit to Singapore, Blinken said: 'This is something we were not aware of and had no involvement in. Speculating about it is very difficult.' The US Secretary of State, in response to a question about the potential impact of Haniyeh's death on the war, stated: 'I have learned over the years never to speculate about the impact of one event on another.' The Tasnim news agency reported early Wednesday, August 1, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, 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. The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 (October 15 last year) when militants from this Palestinian militant group and its allies attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Approximately 120 hostages remain in the custody of Hamas in Gaza, and this group has not released any news or information about their status. Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organization. American lawmakers referred to Haniyeh as 'a terrorist with blood on his hands.' Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas member, stated: 'A missile hit Ismail Haniyeh's room.' Ilan Berman noted that Israel is concerned about escalating tensions and may not take responsibility for Haniyeh's killing. Mohammad Qayedi remarked that Haniyeh's death challenged the reputation of the Islamic Republic. The New York Times claimed that Khamenei ordered a 'direct attack' on Israel. Confirmation of Haniyeh's death by missile; a senior Hamas official stated: 'Before the strike, the windows were shattered and the walls collapsed.' Lloyd Austin expressed that he does not expect Iran-backed groups to increase attacks on US forces in the region.