Intelligence Official Claims Ismail Haniyeh's Assassination Was Not Due to 'Infiltration'

The spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's National Security Commission cited the deputy of the Quds Force's intelligence, stating that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, in Tehran was not due to 'infiltration.' Ibrahim Rezaei reported on Sunday, August 5, to the Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, without naming this deputy, that he provided 'details' about Haniyeh's killing but did not disclose any specifics. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, and the European Union. According to this report, the deputy of the Quds Force's intelligence mentioned that 'further investigations' regarding this assassination are ongoing but added that this incident 'was not the result of infiltration and the issue of infiltration is not relevant in this case.' Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly killed in the early hours of August 1 at a residence in northern Tehran due to a 'short-range projectile' shot. The Revolutionary Guards stated that Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pashakian and was assassinated hours later. The spokesperson for the National Security Commission also mentioned that the Deputy Minister of Intelligence stated that 'extensive field actions' have been taken following Haniyeh's assassination. However, no further details have been released, but on Saturday, the New York Times reported, citing two Iranian sources, that over 20 individuals, some of whom are high-ranking officials, have been arrested at the military guesthouse in Tehran where Ismail Haniyeh was killed. According to the newspaper, the arrested individuals include senior intelligence officers, military officials, and staff working at the guesthouse. While Iranian security officials deny the discussion of 'infiltration' in Haniyeh's killing, on one hand, not much information has been officially released regarding how he was killed, and on the other hand, Western media in recent days have reported, citing sources, that the head of Hamas's political bureau was killed due to a bomb explosion that had been previously planted in his room. On Saturday, Hossein Marashi, the Secretary-General of the Executives of Construction Party, referred to the 'weakness' and 'gap' in Iran's security system in response to Haniyeh's assassination, calling for officials to deal with responsible institutions with more clarity and decisiveness. Additionally, the newspaper Jomhouri Eslami reported on August 2 about the existence of 'infiltrating agents' within Iran, adding that the fact that Israel could 'pass its missile through the window of Ismail Haniyeh's bedroom in a completely secure location in Tehran' means that Israel has 'infiltrating agents' inside Iran. The newspaper further called for a 'root cleansing' in Iran's intelligence and security institutions. The Revolutionary Guards announced on Saturday that Haniyeh's assassination was 'carried out by a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kilograms, accompanied by a strong explosion, from outside the guest's residence area.' No additional information was provided in this announcement regarding the type of projectile, the location of the shot, and the identity of the person or persons who fired it. The Revolutionary Guards also identified Israel as the planner and executor of Ismail Haniyeh's assassination, claiming that Israel carried out this action with the 'support' of the U.S. government. While the Islamic Republic has accused Israel of this act, Israeli officials have remained silent about the country's role in Haniyeh's death. However, Axios claimed that Israeli security officials informed the U.S. government about the details of this assassination after the incident. The U.S. Secretary of State stated last week that the United States 'was not aware of the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and had no involvement in it.' Axios reported that although U.S. officials are not upset about Haniyeh's death, they believe that Mr. Netanyahu deliberately kept the U.S. President uninformed, while both sides had met in Washington days before these developments. According to the same report, Joe Biden, in a serious tone during a phone call after Haniyeh's assassination to Benjamin Netanyahu, requested him to 'end the escalation of tensions.' A day before the assassination of the head of Hamas's political bureau, Israel managed to eliminate Foad Shukr, a senior commander of Hezbollah in Lebanon, by attacking Beirut, and also accepted responsibility for this attack. Senior Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, have stated that Israel's action in killing the head of Hamas's political bureau will face a response and 'severe punishment' from Iran, while on the other hand, the Israeli Prime Minister has stated that the country is prepared for any scenario. It has also been reported that the U.S. has deployed 12 warships in the waters of the Middle East, and the commander of CENTCOM, the U.S. Central Command, arrived in Israel on Saturday night. He began meetings and discussions with the Israeli Defense Minister and Chief of Staff on Sunday to coordinate U.S. assistance in defending Israel against potential attacks from Iran and proxy groups.