Arab sources report that Iran's capital was calm on the night following President Masoud Pezeshkian's inauguration on July 30, an event that drew numerous foreign delegations to Tehran. However, at 1:45 a.m., residents in the city's upscale northern district were jolted by the sound of a powerful explosion. Within hours, Iranian authorities confirmed that Ismail Haniyeh, the visiting leader of the Palestinian Hamas political bureau, had been eliminated in a drone strike.
The initial statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards indicated that Haniyeh's "residence" was targeted, resulting in the death of the Hamas leader and "one of his security personnel." The statement noted that the circumstances and scope of the incident "are under investigation and findings will be released." It was further reported that according to preliminary Iranian inquiries, Haniyeh was killed by a drone that penetrated his room, following intelligence provided by someone within his close protection team. Sky News Arabic, citing Iranian sources, reported that the location where Haniyeh was staying was hit by a missile launched from a nearby building.
Haniyeh had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of the Islamic Republic's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Amwaj.media, an Arab media outlet based in London, reports that the Hamas political bureau chief was not scheduled to stay overnight in Iran. They suggest he may have extended his stay to discuss the implications of the assassination of Hezbollah's senior official Fouad Shukr, which occurred on the same evening.
A senior Iranian source informed the Arab media outlet that Haniyeh and other high-ranking foreign guests attending the inauguration were accommodated at the Saadabad Complex. An attack within this expansive complex would be particularly audacious, given its association with the presidency.
The report states that following the assassination, Iran's Supreme National Security Council convened an emergency session. A senior official who attended the meeting claimed there are suspicions that Haniyeh's inner security circle, specifically his bodyguards, may have been complicit in the targeted killing. According to the source, Tehran's initial assessment suggests that a small drone was used to attack the Hamas leader, based on information supplied by Haniyeh's security team.
It is crucial to note that the media outlet could not independently verify these claims. The report also highlighted that if Haniyeh was indeed staying at the Saadabad Complex, it points to two unusual circumstances: First, Hamas leaders typically reside at their homes on Nelson Mandela Boulevard when in Tehran. Second, a security source asserted that Haniyeh was not meant to stay overnight in Tehran, given that Israel had previously made threats against his life.
