“The responsibility of the United States as its strategic ally and main supporter of the Israeli regime in the region cannot be overlooked in this heinous crime,” Saeed Iravani, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s permanent representative to the UN, said in a speech to the UN Security Council on Wednesday. “Israel also pursued a political objective with this act, seeking to disrupt the first day of work of the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has prioritized strengthening peace and stability in the region, as well as expanding cooperation and constructive engagement with the international community,” Iravani added, as quoted by CNN.
Hamas said its political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran, a major development that plunges the region into a new unpredictable and dangerous phase. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh’s killing. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the fight, saying his country was “prepared for any scenario” and had dealt “crushing blows” to its enemies. Haniyeh became the second member of the Iran-backed group to be killed in the past day, following Israel’s killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death. “You killed our dear guest in our home and now you have paved the way for your severe punishment,” he said, referring to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had “no knowledge or involvement” in Haniyeh’s killing.
The Biden administration was previously reported to be “extremely concerned” that the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh could derail negotiations on the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip and a ceasefire agreement, as well as increase the risk of a regional war.
The Biden administration has placed the hostages and the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas at the center of its entire postwar strategy in the Middle East. President Biden is personally involved in efforts to reach an agreement and sees it as a key factor in defining his legacy. Haniyeh was a key interlocutor for Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the negotiations for the agreement.
