Iran‘s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct attack against Israel in response to the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, reported The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials aware of the development.
Khamenei gave his nod to strike Israel during an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after the announcement of Haniyeh’s death.
The Hamas leader was in Tehran to attend the swearing in ceremony of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian. He was killed around 2 am local time, following his attendance at the ceremony and a meeting with Khamenei.
Both Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killing of Haniyeh. However, Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.
Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran and commander in chief of the armed forces, has ordered military leaders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army to develop strategies for both offensive and defensive actions in case the conflict escalates and Iran is attacked by Israel or the United States as per the officials.
“Now it is unclear how forcefully Iran will respond, and whether it will once again calibrate its attack to steer clear of escalation. Iranian military commanders are considering another combination attack of drones and missiles on military targets in the vicinity of Tel Aviv and Haifa, but would make a point of avoiding strikes on civilian targets,” the Iranian officials told The New York Times.
The officials added that one of the options being considered is a coordinated attack from Iran and other fronts where it has allied forces, such as Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, to maximize the impact of the retaliation.
The New York Times further said that Israel has a history of targeting its enemies abroad, including Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders.
Throughout the nearly 10-month-long war in Gaza, Iran has attempted to maintain a balance by increasing pressure on Israel through heightened attacks by its allies and proxy forces in the region while avoiding a full-scale war between the two countries.
Iran in its most recent attack on Israel launched a barrage of missiles and drones in April as retaliation for an Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military commanders.
Khamenei, in his public remarks indicated that Iran would directly retaliate, stating, “we see avenging his blood our duty,” as the incident occurred on Iranian soil. He warned that Israel had paved the way for receiving “a severe punishment,” as reported by the New York Times.
Various Iranian officials, including the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the foreign ministry, the Revolutionary Guards, and Iran’s UN mission, openly declared that Iran would strike back against Israel and had the right to protect itself against a violation of its sovereignty.
Iran and its regional allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq, collectively form what they refer to as the “axis of resistance.” The leaders of these groups were present in Tehran for Pezeshkian’s swearing in on Tuesday.
Analysts cited by the NYT suggest that Tehran views retaliation as necessary not only to avenge Haniyeh’s death but also to deter Israel from targeting other powerful adversaries, such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah or General Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Forces who oversees militant groups outside Iran.
Khamenei gave his nod to strike Israel during an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after the announcement of Haniyeh’s death.
The Hamas leader was in Tehran to attend the swearing in ceremony of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian. He was killed around 2 am local time, following his attendance at the ceremony and a meeting with Khamenei.
Both Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killing of Haniyeh. However, Israel neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.
Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran and commander in chief of the armed forces, has ordered military leaders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army to develop strategies for both offensive and defensive actions in case the conflict escalates and Iran is attacked by Israel or the United States as per the officials.
“Now it is unclear how forcefully Iran will respond, and whether it will once again calibrate its attack to steer clear of escalation. Iranian military commanders are considering another combination attack of drones and missiles on military targets in the vicinity of Tel Aviv and Haifa, but would make a point of avoiding strikes on civilian targets,” the Iranian officials told The New York Times.
The officials added that one of the options being considered is a coordinated attack from Iran and other fronts where it has allied forces, such as Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, to maximize the impact of the retaliation.
The New York Times further said that Israel has a history of targeting its enemies abroad, including Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders.
Throughout the nearly 10-month-long war in Gaza, Iran has attempted to maintain a balance by increasing pressure on Israel through heightened attacks by its allies and proxy forces in the region while avoiding a full-scale war between the two countries.
Iran in its most recent attack on Israel launched a barrage of missiles and drones in April as retaliation for an Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military commanders.
Khamenei, in his public remarks indicated that Iran would directly retaliate, stating, “we see avenging his blood our duty,” as the incident occurred on Iranian soil. He warned that Israel had paved the way for receiving “a severe punishment,” as reported by the New York Times.
Various Iranian officials, including the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the foreign ministry, the Revolutionary Guards, and Iran’s UN mission, openly declared that Iran would strike back against Israel and had the right to protect itself against a violation of its sovereignty.
Iran and its regional allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq, collectively form what they refer to as the “axis of resistance.” The leaders of these groups were present in Tehran for Pezeshkian’s swearing in on Tuesday.
Analysts cited by the NYT suggest that Tehran views retaliation as necessary not only to avenge Haniyeh’s death but also to deter Israel from targeting other powerful adversaries, such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah or General Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Forces who oversees militant groups outside Iran.