TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged “harsh punishment” for Israel following the killing of Hamas leader in Tehran. IRNA cited Khamenei as saying, “With this action, the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime prepared the ground for harsh punishment for itself, and we consider it our duty to seek revenge for his blood as he was martyred in the territory of Iran,”.
Similarly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged Wednesday to make Israel “regret” the “cowardly” killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Pezeshkian said in a statement via social media that Iran will defend its territorial integrity, honour, pride and dignity, and “make the terrorist invaders regret their cowardly action,”. The President of Iran mourned Ismail Haniyeh as “a brave leader”.
Several countries including China, Turkey, Qatar and Russia condemned the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. In a statement, China on Wednesday said it denounced the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Tehran, warning it could lead to further regional instability. In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, “We are deeply concerned regarding the incident and strongly oppose and denounce the assassination”. The spokesman said that they are highly concerned that this incident may lead to further instability in the region.
Turkey denounced the “shameful assassination” of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the foreign affairs ministry said on Wednesday.
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We denounce the assassination of the leader of Hamas’s political office, Ismail Haniyeh, in a shameful assassination in Tehran, Iran.” The statement said that the that this attack also aims to spread the Gaza conflict to a regional dimension.
Iran has also expressed condolences over the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh to the proud nation of Palestine, Hamas and countries supporting the Palestinian cause. The Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has also vowed to take revenge following its political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. In a statement, the group said Haniyeh “passed away as a result of a treacherous Zionist attack,”.
