IRGC Claims After 'Major Defeat': Ismail Haniyeh Killed by 'Short-Range Projectile'

On Saturday, August 13, the Public Relations Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a statement that Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed by a 'short-range projectile.' According to the statement, this projectile was fired 'with a warhead weighing about seven kilograms... from outside the residence area of guests.' The IRGC further claimed that Israel 'designed and executed' this operation, with the support of the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have not taken responsibility for Haniyeh's death in Tehran, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the U.S. was not involved in the killing and was unaware of it. Additionally, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Haniyeh's death would not be beneficial for ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. In the conclusion of its statement, the IRGC threatened to respond to Haniyeh's killing at a 'time, place, and manner deemed appropriate.' Concurrently, the New York Times reported the initiation of extensive investigations into Haniyeh's death by the IRGC's anti-intelligence organization, noting that over 20 senior officials have been arrested in these investigations. The New York Times emphasized that these arrests indicate a 'devastating security failure' for the Iranian leadership. The report stated that Haniyeh's killing, just hours after the inauguration ceremony of the new government in a heavily protected area in Tehran, is considered a 'major defeat.' According to two Iranian sources cited by the New York Times, the IRGC's specialized intelligence unit has taken over the investigations and is pursuing suspects to reach the main members of the team that planned, assisted, and executed this action. The newspaper stressed that if Israel can kill such an important guest on a day when the capital was under strict security measures, 'then no one is truly safe in Iran.' Additionally, the British newspaper Telegraph reported that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, by hiring forces from the IRGC, planted explosives in the building where Ismail Haniyeh was residing in Tehran and killed him. According to this report, security agents from the IRGC's Ansar al-Mahdi, responsible for protecting locations and personalities, collaborated with Mossad to place explosives in three separate rooms of the building where Haniyeh primarily stayed, detonating it from outside Iran early on Wednesday, August 10. The Telegraph reported that the operatives involved in this operation were seen on surveillance cameras secretly entering the rooms and leaving after a few minutes. According to the report, they had exited Iran before carrying out the operation but were connected to a liaison inside Iran. The newspaper also stated that the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh was planned to coincide with the funeral ceremony of Ibrahim Raisi, but due to crowding inside the building and the possibility of failure, the operation was not carried out. The Telegraph quoted an IRGC official as saying, 'They are now sure that Mossad hired Ansar al-Mahdi security forces.' Another IRGC official added, 'This operation is a major humiliation for the Islamic Republic and a significant security breach.' He stated that currently, factions within the IRGC are blaming each other for the failure, and Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, has ordered the expulsion, arrest, and possibly execution of several suspicious IRGC members. The New York Times reported on Thursday, August 11, citing three Iranian officials, that the Hamas political leader was killed by a bomb that had been planted in his residence two months prior. This report was subsequently denied by Hamas. Ismail Haniyeh was killed early on Wednesday, August 10, in Tehran. His body, which had traveled from Qatar to Iran to attend the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, was buried in Qatar on Friday. The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 (15 Mehr) of last year when militants from this Palestinian paramilitary group and its allies attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostage. Approximately 120 hostages remain in the custody of Hamas forces in Gaza, and the group has not released any news or information about their status. Israel, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada consider Hamas a terrorist organization. The potential for escalation of the crisis in the Middle East is evident; KLM has canceled its flights to and from Tel Aviv for about three months. Biden stated that Haniyeh's killing was not beneficial for reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war. Poland has warned its citizens not to travel to 'Iran, Israel, and Lebanon.' Regional media reported that Hezbollah is evacuating its positions in Beirut; the Islamic Republic's proxies are on alert. France has warned its citizens to leave Iran 'immediately' due to unprecedented tensions in the Middle East. The funeral ceremony for Ismail Haniyeh was held in Qatar; Israel protested the half-mast Turkish flag. Biden and Netanyahu discussed U.S. commitment to Israel's security against threats from the Islamic Republic. Axios reported that the U.S. is on alert for a 'potential attack by the Islamic Republic' on Israel. The White House stated that it is monitoring ongoing developments in the Middle East, with the Biden administration focused on preventing a 'widespread regional war.'