The New York Times Claims: Khamenei Ordered 'Direct Attack' on Israel

The New York Times, citing 'three Iranian officials', reports that Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, issued an order for a 'direct attack on Israel' in response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the terrorist group Hamas, in Tehran. The author of the American newspaper states that these 'three Iranian officials, including two members of the Revolutionary Guards', said Khamenei issued this order in an 'emergency meeting' on Wednesday morning of the Supreme National Security Council, shortly after the news of Haniyeh's death was announced. According to the report, all three requested that their names not be published, as they are not authorized to speak publicly on this matter. Khamenei himself has promised 'retribution' for Ismail Haniyeh on social media. The Islamic Republic and the Palestinian group Hamas have blamed Israel for Haniyeh's death in Tehran. Haniyeh had met and conversed with Ali Khamenei just hours before his killing on Tuesday, and he was warmly welcomed by the leader of the Islamic Republic, who has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel. Haniyeh and Ziad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad group who was also present at the meeting with Khamenei, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian in the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Tuesday. In response to Haniyeh's killing, Prince Reza Pahlavi stated on Wednesday that Ismail Haniyeh should never have entered Iranian territory and called his presence in Iran 'an insult to the nation and country of Iran'. The Islamic Republic, which is itself under sanctions, has not transparently disclosed the amount it annually provides to Hamas, but various estimates suggest this aid amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. The Islamic Republic has been labeled the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. After the killing of several Revolutionary Guards commanders in an attack on a building next to the Islamic Republic's embassy in Damascus, the capital of Syria, Iran fired over 300 missiles and drones at Israel. According to Israeli officials, only a handful of those missiles and drones penetrated the country's air defenses without causing significant damage to Israeli facilities, and most were destroyed. Some reports indicate that in response to that attack, Israel targeted part of an S-300 air defense system in Isfahan with long-range air-to-ground missiles, sending a significant message to the Islamic Republic's officials about its military capabilities. Iranian officials denied the missile attack by Israel, although satellite images released later in early May showed damage to the S-300 site in Isfahan. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the then Iranian Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with NBC News that 'what happened was not an attack. They were more like toys that our kids played with, not drones.' Nasser Kanani, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, later reiterated this denial, telling reporters: 'Relevant officials have stated that this attack caused no damage and that Iran's air defense system performed its duties. Therefore, we believe this issue is not worth addressing.' Kamal Kharrazi, Khamenei's advisor, also claimed that the attack on the defensive facilities in Isfahan was carried out with 'mini-drones' that, according to him, had previously entered Iran. According to some published reports, Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a missile at a location designated for him by Iranian officials in northern Tehran. It has been reported that one of his bodyguards was also killed. It is unclear whether Khamenei has called for a more severe response following Haniyeh's killing compared to the previous reaction to the deaths of several of his military commanders in Damascus. Many experts have described Haniyeh's killing in Tehran, especially on the day of Masoud Pezeshkian's swearing-in, as 'humiliating'. Meanwhile, several non-Iranian social media users supportive of the Palestinian group Hamas appear to view the circumstances surrounding Haniyeh's killing with suspicion towards the Islamic Republic. Additionally, see: Associated Press confirmed the attack on air defense in Isfahan; repeated denials by Tehran officials are meaningless. Mohammad Qayedi: Haniyeh's killing challenged the Islamic Republic's reputation. The Islamic Republic's proxy forces in Tehran, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are under fire. Different reactions from social media users to the killing of Hamas's political leader. Norman Roll: The Islamic Republic will activate all its proxy forces. Khamenei's and the Islamic Republic officials' reactions to Ismail Haniyeh's killing in Tehran. The United States firmly denied any involvement in the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.