Reactions to Khamenei's 'Fear' During Haniyeh's Funeral; Shirin Ebadi: Haniyeh's Death Indicates 'Israeli Military Power'

Reactions to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh continue, with Shirin Ebadi recently stating that the death of the Hamas political bureau chief in Tehran reflects 'Israeli military power.' Meanwhile, the movements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic during Haniyeh's funeral drew attention from users. Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, emphasized on Thursday, August 11, that 'the leader of the terrorist organization Hamas, in collaboration with the Islamic Republic, has been fueling the flames of war,' adding, 'The Islamic Republic once again demonstrated that all its claims of comprehensive oversight, military power, and security control are nothing but a ridiculous joke.' Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, prayed over Haniyeh's body on Thursday while Tehran's sky was under a 'no-fly zone' for hours. His facial expressions and body language during the funeral were noted by users, with some interpreting it as fear and anxiety of being attacked. Journalist Behnam Gholipour wrote on X that the Supreme Leader 'seems to be afraid of something, hearing voices, and believing that there are people around him that others cannot see.' Political activist Mohammad Heydari emphasized that 'observing Khamenei's fear fosters courage in society,' stating that witnessing 'fear in the actions of the ruthless and oppressive leader of the Islamic Republic has significant positive effects on the spirit and psyche of the oppressed people and society of Iran.' Reuters reported, citing 'five informed sources,' that following Haniyeh's death in Tehran, senior officials of the Islamic Republic will meet on Thursday, August 11, with representatives of their allied groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to discuss possible retaliatory actions against Israel. The Supreme Leader had promised 'blood vengeance' for Haniyeh on Wednesday, while Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh's death. Farzin Nedimi, a senior researcher at the Washington Institute, told VOA regarding Haniyeh's killing in Tehran, 'The leaders of the Islamic Republic hoped to provide a decisive response to previous Israeli attacks, including the attack on the Islamic government building in Damascus, but in this case, they saw that all the new equations they thought they had created had collapsed, and Israel, based on its own interests, will conduct operations in Iran if it sees fit.' He emphasized, 'Of course, Israel has not claimed responsibility for this attack and, like other cases, does not feel the need to do so.' In this context, Norman Roule, a senior policy advisor at the 'Countering Iran's Nuclear Program' organization, described the previous Iranian attack on Israel as 'a shameful failure.' Previously, Prince Reza Pahlavi reacted to the killing of the Hamas political bureau chief in Tehran, stating that 'Ismail Haniyeh should never have set foot on Iranian soil,' and his presence was 'an insult to our country and nation,' emphasizing, 'The cost of terrorism by this super-criminal against innocent Israelis and Palestinians was funded by the Iranian people and against their will and interests.' Hamed Esmaeilioun also referred to Haniyeh as an 'international terrorist' who 'came to the terrorists' party.'