Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Leads Funeral Prayer For Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh (Image@ Khamenei_m)
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, has led funeral prayers for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Thousands of mourners with Hamas chief’s posters and Palestinian flags gathered in the capital city’s centre, at Tehran University.
After the prayer, a massive crowd accompanied the body of Haniyeh and his bodyguard, who was also killed in the strike on Wednesday, in a 5km (3-mile) funeral procession through Tehran towards Azadi (Freedom) Square.
Ismail Haniyeh’s mortal remaining will be flown to Qatar’s capital, Doha, for burial.
The funeral ceremony was opened with an address from Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “Martyr Ismail Haniyeh was the voice of the Palestinian people all over the world. He was not only a leader. He was the wise man”, he said.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leading funeral prayer of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh
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He also underscored that Haniyeh’s assassination will not go unanswered. “Our reply will be there. At the right time and the right place. It is difficult for us to have our guest being targeted and assassinated on our soil,” he said.
Reportedly, the Iranians appeared to divided in their sentiments. One part is frustrated at the repeated assassination of leaders, and other part is concerned over the retaliation from Iran, that could lead to a bigger regional war.
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and one of his bodyguards were assassinated while they were in Tehran. Israel is strongly assumed to be behind the attack. Tel Aviv did not claim responsibility.
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Haniyeh was is Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei promised “harsh punishment” for Israel and said that it was “our duty to seek revenge for his blood as he was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
Pezeshkian said Wednesday that “the Zionists (Israel) will soon see the consequences of their cowardly and terrorist act”.
Musa Abu Marzouk, Hamas political bureau member, also promised retaliation, saying: “The assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh is a cowardly act and will not go unanswered.”
