MEDIA affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has strongly rejected The New York Times’ report on the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The US media outlet claimed Haniyeh was killed by an explosive device hidden in his room two months earlier.
“This lie is being spread while the results of expert investigations show that Haniyeh was hit by a projectile, which cannot rule out the involvement of the Zionist regime (Israel),” the IRGC report said, as quoted by the Fars news agency, Friday (2/8).
Citing five officials in the Middle East, The New York Times report claimed the bomb was hidden in an IRGC-run guesthouse in the Neshat complex in northern Tehran. The newspaper detailed that the blast, which occurred at around 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday (July 31), was triggered remotely and caused significant damage.
The blast shook the building, shattered windows, and part of the outer wall collapsed. It is unclear who the Middle Eastern officials were, however, and if they were from countries friendly to Iran, they would have an interest in offering a scenario that was less detrimental to the IRGC or the Iranian regime.
Some Iranian journalists and activists have cast doubt on the veracity of the report, saying the Iranian regime does not want to appear completely incapable of defending itself against foreign missile or drone attacks.
The killing of Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, has sparked speculation about the method of killing. Previously, most observers said the killing was carried out by a projectile that hit a certain part of the building where Haniyeh was staying.
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However, The New York Times article said, the careful planning behind the attack was such that, although Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who lived next door, his room suffered minimal damage, as claimed by two Iranian officials.
Reports, including those from Iranian state media, suggested he may have been targeted by a drone or precision-guided missile, with special forces in Tehran directing the attack from a nearby window.
Another theory put forward by Iranian media suggests spy software was installed on his phone, allowing his location to be monitored and ultimately leading to his tracking and killing.
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So far, Iranian officials have not commented on the specific circumstances surrounding the death of the figure who had been a key bridge between Iran and Hamas since 2017.
The report did not contain several key explanations, including why Haniyeh, who had stayed at the guesthouse several times during his visit to Tehran, was targeted on this occasion without giving a specific reason for the timing of the attack.
The New York Times report contradicts Pezeshkian supporters who insist the attack was aimed at his new administration. If the bomb was planted two months ago, Pezeshkian was not even a presidential candidate yet.
Also read: Ismail Haniyeh Funeral Ceremony in Teheran Iran
Reformist journalist and political activist Ahmad Zeidabadi stated the main aim of the attack on Haniyeh was to destabilize and potentially cripple the Pezeshkian government from the start.
Regardless of the method used, Iranian officials acknowledge a significant failure on the Iranian side to protect Haniyeh, which reflects a profound negligence in the country’s security.
Several officials such as IRGC deputy commander Qasem Soleimani and former parliament member Mansour Haqiqatpour have suggested a purge within the security forces is necessary.
He condemned the killing for its impact on Iran’s security apparatus, telling Rouydad 24 that the killing casts a negative light on Iran’s security officials. He called for accountability among certain political, military and security officials, suggesting that some may need to be dismissed.
Iranian newspaper Jomhouri-e Eslami also criticized the security forces for failing to root out infiltrators in their ranks. The article denounced the focus on revenge rather than preventing terror acts and recommended a thorough purge of the intelligence and security services to protect against such killings. (I-2)
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