American Media House's Explosive Claims On How Ismail Haniyeh Was Assassinated

In an exclusive report, The New York Times has revealed that Ismail Haniyeh, former political head of Gaza-based resistance group Hamas, was assassinated by an explosive device secretly planted in a heavily guarded guesthouse in Tehran. The device was hidden approximately two months prior, and according to the report, was detonated remotely once the late Hamas leader was confirmed to be in the room. The blast also claimed the life of one of his bodyguards.

Neshat compound in northern Tehran, where the guesthouse is located, is managed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran’s armed forces, whose primary role is to protect the Islamic Republic’s political system, safeguard the revolution’s achievements, and maintain internal security.

The compound is a well-secured area which normally used for hosting prominent visitors. Ismail Haniyeh, who lived in Qatar after shifting to the wealthy Gulf country located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, was in Tehran for the presidential inauguration reformist politician and heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian when the explosion occurred.

Within hours of the announcement, Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, a view, as per The New York Times, supported by several US officials. Although Israel has not officially taken responsibility, Israeli intelligence reportedly briefed the United States and other Western governments on the operation shortly after it took place, confirms the daily.

The American media house’s investigation revealed that the bomb’s placement inside the room where Haniyeh stayed whenever he was in Tehran and the subsequent assassination were the result of meticulous planning and surveillance over several months. The breach in security, allowing the bomb to be hidden in such a well-guarded facility, has been described by Iranian officials as a significant intelligence failure and an embarrassment for the IRGC. Many officials from world security apparatus has been criticising Iranian intelligence machinery for letting this happen, that too to an important world figure who has been in Mossad’s radar for decades.

After the Iranian political establishment or West’s intelligence community have denied to comment on how Haniyeh was assassinated in Iranian capital, speculations were rife that the former Prime Minister of Palestine in Gaza might have been targeted by a missile strike, similar to a previous Israeli operation in Isfahan. However, The New York Times confirmed that the device was planted inside the guesthouse, taking advantage of lapses in internal security rather than breaching Iranian air defenses.

The precise nature of the attack, according to intelligence community and reports, is reminiscent of previous Israeli operations, points to the involvement of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service. Mossad has been linked to several high-profile assassinations, including that of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020, using similarly advanced tactics.

The explosion inside the guesthouse took place around 2 am local time hours after Ismail Haniyeh appeared cheerful and triumphant at the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. According to eyewitness accounts, the blast shattering windows and collapsing part of the compound’s exterior wall.

The Times investigation also said the leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, was staying in a neighbouring room, which was left largely undamaged, indicating a highly targeted operation.

Following the attack, the IRGC quickly issued a statement confirming Haniyeh’s death, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei convened an emergency meeting with the Supreme National Security Council, ordering retaliation against Israel.

While the method of assassination remains a topic of speculation and rumour within Iran, the precision and sophistication of the operation suggest a continuation of Israel’s long-standing policy of targeting leaders of hostile organisations beyond its borders. Mossad’s head, David Barnea, had earlier emphasised the agency’s commitment to pursuing Hamas leaders responsible for attacks on Israel, stating that they would be hunted down, “wherever they are.”