Realizing the impending danger, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has threatened to directly target the Israeli forces in response to the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Which, according to Fars, was given at the session of Iran’s SNDC on Wednesday morning, following the statement on Haniyeh’s death in Iran.
Iran and a Gaza-based group Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, although the Jewish state has not confirmed it while not refuting the allegation either.
This directive from Khamenei is a major escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel, which has become noticeable in recent times.
It is reported that the supreme leader has provided military commanders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army with working strategies aimed at both acquiring the conflict and defending against its expansion.
Khamenei said in a statement released to the public: “We see avenging his blood our duty” This phrase gives the Iranian government a hint that they will not abnegate on the threat they made of repaying the US for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
The visitors, the newly elected president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, the foreign ministry, the Guards, and the Iranian mission to the United Nations uttered identical sentiments promising to hit back at Israel.
Another violation of security is the assassination of Haniyeh, a leading official of Hamas; it seems to have outraged Iran, particularly at a time when the country wants to demonstrate power to other states.
This event took place in Tehran when the capital’s security level was at its highest, at a very secure guesthouse belonging to the Revolutionary Guards.
Experts also said that Iran’s response is not only about revenge for Haniyeh’s death but also to prevent further attacks on powerful regional partners like Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah or the Quds Forces commander General Ismail Qaani.
However, for now, the situation remains rather tense. The international community is paying more attention to developments in the region, concerned that they may lead to another escalation and even a more large-scale conflict.
