Following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh early Wednesday morning in Tehran, a red flag symbolizing revenge has been raised atop a major mosque in the holy city of Qom, Iran.
This marks the sixth time in Iran’s history that the flag has been raised, the last instance being on the eve of Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel in April this year.
The assassination was confirmed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards hours after Haniyeh attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. It occurred less than 24 hours after Israel targeted a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, further complicating the situation.
Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar, played a key role in Hamas’s international diplomacy and had been involved in indirect ceasefire talks regarding the ongoing Gaza conflict. Hamas’ armed wing declared that his death would “take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions.”
Minutes after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised a “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the assassination, the symbolic red flag was mounted.
Khamenei stated, “The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our house and made us bereaved. It also prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.” He emphasized that it was Iran’s duty to avenge Haniyeh’s assassination.
Iran has announced three days of public mourning across the country. A funeral ceremony will be held in Iran on Thursday, after which Haniyeh’s body will be transferred to Doha, Qatar where he will be buried on Friday, according to a Hamas statement on its Telegram channel.
While there was no official comment from Israel regarding the assassination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with security officials to assess the situation. However, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant remarked that while Israel was not seeking to escalate the war, it was prepared for all scenarios.
The assassination has drawn widespread condemnation: Qatar, which has been mediating ceasefire talks, labeled the killing as a dangerous escalation. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani questioned, “How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Additionally, Egypt, China, Russia, Turkey, and Iraq also condemned the assassination.
While in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of a ceasefire to avoid wider regional escalation. He stated, “This is something we were not aware of or involved in.”
The killing of Haniyeh is expected to hinder efforts to reach an agreement in the 10-month-old Gaza war.
In Gaza, residents expressed fear and sorrow over Haniyeh’s death.
The assassination increases the risk of a regional war involving Israel, Hezbollah, and Iran. Hezbollah has not confirmed the death of its commander, Fouad Shukr, but tensions remain high.
Nevertheless, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday emphasized U.S. support for Israel, stating, “If Israel is attacked, yes, we will help Israel defend itself.”
