The Middle East woke up to a new reality on Wednesday as it teeters on the brink of potential war between Iran and its proxies, and Israel. Following an Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas, in Tehran during an inauguration event for Iran’s new president, tensions have escalated significantly.
Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, and an Iranian security guard were reportedly killed while in the Iranian capital. Hamas has since condemned the “treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran.” In response, Iran is vowing “severe” punishment, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei stating, “The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment.
Newly sworn-in Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian announced that Iran will defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride, and will make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act.
Taking out Haniyeh was the second high-profile assassination attributed to Israel in a matter of hours, following a Tuesday airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s top military leader and right-hand man to Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Fuad Shukr. This attack resulted in the death of three people, including two children, with at least 74 wounded. Emergency workers are still searching under the rubble, so the civilian death toll is likely to rise further.
Adding to this volatile mix, there are emerging reports of another Israeli air raid – this time on Syria’s capital of Damascus (unconfirmed) – with likely casualties. A large cloud of smoke was seen rising over the Damascus suburb of Sayyidah Zaynab at around 3pm local time. It is an area which sees a constant influx of Iranian religious pilgrims, and Israel has bombed it frequently, saying each time it is targeting Iranian military assets and proxies.
The US military also overnight launched its first military action in Iraq in months, reportedly striking militia combatants who attempted to launch a drone attack. The Pentagon is calling the new military action a defensive airstrike.
In the last 24 hours there has been military action by Israel or the US in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding “the threats to Israel posed by a range of Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah,” according to a readout.
Still, there is no official comment from Israel over the Haniyeh killing, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his security cabinet as regional threats of revenge mount over the high profile assassinations. An Israeli government spokesman has said, “We are on extremely high alert for Iranian retaliation.
Without doubt, this throws the prospect of any hostage negotiations in total disarray and the temperature of conversations within the White House and State Department is likely high. Secretary Blinken has said “We were not aware of or involved in the attack on Haniyeh.” Times of Israel correspondents have said ordinary Palestinians are exhausted from war and exasperated.
War-weary Palestinians in Gaza mourn the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Some say it will complicate efforts to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel.
This man could have signed the prisoner exchange deal with the Israelis,” says Saleh al-Shannar, who was displaced from his home in northern Gaza. Why did they kill him? They killed peace, not Ismail Haniyeh.
Meanwhile, Russia has condemned the Israeli killing of the Hamas leader, saying “dangerous” consequences are likely.
Many observers already concluded long ago that Netanyahu doesn’t actually want a quick resolution to the Gaza war, but is indeed intent on fighting until Hamas is eradicated, even if that puts the remaining hostages in jeopardy. This has been the constant criticism of his domestic political rivals and the hostage victims’ families. All that Washington officials have said so far is statements saying they are ‘very concerned’ at these developments. Middle East analyst Rami Khouri has expressed the feeling of many Arab leaders in the region, saying that the latest assassination shows that Israel is “a runaway killing machine.
