IRGC Claims Ismail Haniyeh Was Assassinated by 'Short-Range Projectile Fire'

The Public Relations Office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officially announced that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the extremist group Hamas, was assassinated through 'short-range projectile fire... accompanied by a severe explosion.' This official statement comes after several days of various reports and speculations regarding the circumstances of Haniyeh's death, with an American newspaper also reporting the arrest of several individuals in Tehran. The IRGC's statement, published on Saturday, August 13, stated: 'Based on investigations and examinations conducted, this terrorist operation was carried out with the firing of a short-range projectile with a warhead of approximately 7 kilograms, accompanied by a severe explosion, from outside the residence area of the guests.' This statement lacks any further information about the type of projectile, the location it was fired from, and the identity of the individual or individuals who fired it. The IRGC also identified Israel as the designer and executor of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, claiming that Israel carried out this act with the 'support' of the United States government. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has yet to take responsibility for this action, and even a spokesperson for the Israeli army emphasized last week that Israel has not conducted any operations other than the killing of Fouad Shukr, a Hezbollah commander. The Biden administration has also stressed that it was unaware of any operations by Israel or any actions aimed at killing Ismail Haniyeh. 'Widespread arrests' at the site of Ismail Haniyeh's death in Tehran Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist group by the U.S. and the European Union, traveled to Tehran last week to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian as the new President of Iran. The IRGC had previously stated that 'the impact of a projectile from the air' on Ismail Haniyeh's residence led to his death and that of one of his bodyguards. This narrative has been rejected by some sources in conversations with international media. Some American media outlets, including The New York Times, Axios, Bloomberg, and CNN, reported separately, citing various sources, that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb explosion at his residence. However, media close to the IRGC, including Fars News Agency, immediately rejected this claim, asserting that the motivation for presenting the bombing narrative in the media was to assist Israel and 'prevent subsequent repercussions.' On the other hand, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing two Iranian sources, that over 20 individuals, some of whom are high-ranking, have been arrested at the military guesthouse in Tehran where Ismail Haniyeh was killed. According to this newspaper, the more than 20 arrested individuals include senior intelligence officers, military officials, and staff working at this guesthouse. Following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Beirut, officials from the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in Lebanon have stated that they will take revenge on Israel. This point is also mentioned at the end of the IRGC's recent statement: 'The blood vengeance of 'martyr Ismail Haniyeh' is certain and... [Israel] will decisively receive the response to this crime, which is 'severe punishment,' at the appropriate time, place, and manner.