Iran assures that assassination of Hamas chief could only happen with US support

Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, said the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s Politburo, was not possible without US approval and intelligence support.

Bagheri Kani made the remarks during an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the assassination of Haniyeh, among other issues, according to a statement released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

Bagheri Kani declared that, as the main supporter of Israel, the responsibility of the United States in this “hateful crime” cannot be overlooked, the commission of which was not possible without the approval and intelligence support of the United States.

He added that, in the absence of any appropriate action by the UN Security Council, Iran has no alternative but to exercise its “inherent right to self-defense in the face of Israel’s aggression.”

He emphasized that this action by Iran is necessary to prevent future “aggressions” by Israel against Iranian sovereignty, people and territory, and would be adopted at the “precise time and in a proportionate manner.”

Haniyeh, who was invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian last Tuesday, was killed along with his bodyguard early last Wednesday when his residence in Tehran was attacked. Iran accused Israel of carrying out the attack and promised “a harsh and painful response.”