Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed to make Israel “regret” the “cowardly” assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Pezeshkian mourned Haniyeh as “a brave leader,” stating, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will defend its territorial integrity, honour, pride, and dignity, and make the terrorist invaders regret their cowardly action.”
Haniyeh was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of the country’s new president. This incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel.
The killing of Haniyeh followed an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut on Tuesday, which resulted in the death of a senior commander of the Iran-backed group. Israel claimed the commander was responsible for a recent rocket attack on the Israel-annexed Golan Heights.