Iran urges global action to take Israel to task over Haniyeh assassination

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has called for global action against Israel over the assassination of the “tireless Mujahid” Ismail Haniyeh.

The ministry said the attack on the political leader of Hamas in Tehran is another manifestation of the aggressive and law-breaking nature of the “criminal mafia ruling the occupied land of Palestine.”

“[Iran] expects countries and international organizations to seriously and effectively hold the Israeli regime accountable and take necessary political, legal, and punitive measures against this rogue regime in support of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their legitimate resistance against occupation,” said the Wednesday statement.

The statement said the assassination of Haniyeh, one of the “pioneers of the legitimate Palestinian struggle for self-determination, is a gross violation of international law.”

“This terrorist act is not only a gross violation of the principles and rules of international law and the United Nations Charter but also a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.”

The statement said the criminal act is part of the broader campaign of genocide Israel pursues in Gaza and is aimed at increasing insecurity in West Asia.

The assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran came less than a day after Israel carried out a separate targeted strike against a senior Hezbollah commander in a suburb of Beirut, risking a major escalation with the Lebanese resistance movement.  

The back-to-back attacks leave the Israeli regime open to retaliation from Hamas, Hezbollah and other resistance groups in the region, as well as from Iran, which has vowed a harsh response to the assassination of the leader of an ally on its soil.

Hamas vows revenge after political leader Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran

Hamas acknoweges assassination of its Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran, pledgeing to respond to the atrocity.

In April, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the Israeli occupied territories in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its diplomatic premises in Syria, which left several Iranian military advisors dead.

‘Iran’s response will be harder’

Separately, Iran’s interim Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani said the “cowardly assassination” will “make the people and the heroic resistance of Palestine, the Islamic world, and all freedom-loving individuals more determined in their honorable path of jihad against occupation and genocide.”

Baqeri Kani said the assassination is a gross violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and a disrespect to the national security and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns this heinous criminal act in the strongest possible terms and emphasizes its right to an appropriate response.”

The top diplomat said the UN Security Council must fulfill its responsibility to counter the threat to international peace and security posed by the continuous terrorist and aggressive actions of the occupying Israeli regime.

Moreover, the Iranian mission to the UN said on X that Iran’s response will be special operations intended to “instill deep regret in the perpetrator.”

“The response to an assassination will indeed be special operations—harder and intended to instill deep regret in the perpetrator.”

The statement also underscored the responsibility of the US government, as a supporter and accomplice of the Zionist regime in the continuation of the occupation and genocide of Palestinians, for this “heinous terrorist act.”

Iran reserves the right to respond appropriately to this aggressive act against its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said. 

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