TPC Staff
The Palestinian Chronicle / August 1, 2204
Iran and other members of the Axis of Resistance have vowed to retaliate for the assassination of the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, on Wednesday.
Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in an attack on their residence in Tehran, according to a statement from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Haniyeh had been in the city to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday. The IRGC noted that the reasons for the attack are under investigation, with further details to be released later.
Iran – ‘heavy price’
Iran’s UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the UN Security Council that “the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with international law to respond decisively to this terrorist and criminal act when it deems necessary and appropriate”.
Iravani urged the UNSC to take action against Israel, including sanctions, to prevent further attacks.
He also reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to international law, criticizing Israel for its disregard for these principles and accusing it of escalating violence in the region.
For his part, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf condemned the assassination during Haniyeh’s funeral procession.
He attributed Israel’s actions to its inability to counter resistance forces effectively. He warned that Israel would be making a “strategic mistake” if it believes targeting the resistance front would alter the region’s dynamics.
According to the Iranian news agency Mehr, Qalibaf declared that the era of “hit and run” tactics by Israel and its ally, the United States, has ended, adding that it is Iran’s “duty to react in the right place and at the right time”.
He cautioned that Israel will pay “a heavy price” for the assassination, describing it as an act of desperation that will not deter the resistance movement.
He also pointed to Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza, particularly against civilians.
Ansarallah – ‘will spare no effort’
Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni Ansarallah group, warned on Wednesday that Haniyeh’s assassination by Israel has escalated the conflict to a broader level, with severe consequences anticipated for Tel Aviv.
“The criminal enemy’s involvement in targeting the martyr (Haniyeh) has elevated the battle to a wider scope and greater dimensions, the consequences of which will be dire for the enemy,” he said in a televised speech on Al-Masirah TV.
“We will spare no effort, with God’s permission and in cooperation with our brothers in the Axis of the Resistance in avenging the martyr and all the martyrs and the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people,” he said.
Al-Houthi further mentioned that Israel’s attack on Haniyeh would only strengthen their resolve to punish the “criminal enemy.”
Tensions between Ansarallah and Israel have been running high in recent weeks, as Israel conducted airstrikes on fuel tanks and a power station at the port of Al-Hodeidah in western Yemen on July 20, following an Ansarallah drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli citizen one day earlier.
