Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by a bomb that had been smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to a New York Times report.
The attack, initially believed to be the result of an airstrike, was carried out using a remotely detonated explosive device hidden in the guesthouse two months before Haniyeh’s arrival.
Seven Middle Eastern officials, including two from Iran and one American, confirmed to the Times that the bomb was activated remotely once Haniyeh entered his room around 2 a.m. local time. The blast was precisely targeted, causing minimal damage to the adjacent room occupied by Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The explosion also resulted in the death of one of Haniyeh’s bodyguards.
The guesthouse, located in a wealthy neighbourhood of northern Tehran, is managed and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The explosion reportedly shook the entire building, breaking windows and causing part of an exterior wall to collapse. Photos from Sabereen News, an IRGC-affiliated outlet, depict extensive damage with blackened walls and debris.
The revelation that Haniyeh was killed by a remote-controlled bomb rather than an airstrike or drone strike has prompted Iranian officials to criticize the incident as a significant security lapse. The guesthouse where the assassination took place is used for retreats, secret meetings, and hosting prominent guests.
Background on Ismail Haniyeh and Recent Developments
Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated on Wednesday, held significant positions within Hamas. In 2006, President Mahmoud Abbas appointed Haniyeh as the Palestinian Prime Minister following Hamas’s victory in national elections. He later became the head of Hamas’ political bureau in 2017, a role he maintained until his death.
Before his assassination, Israel had vowed to eliminate Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders in response to the group’s October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities. In April 2024, an Israeli airstrike killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren, who were traveling in Gaza’s Shati refugee camp to visit family during Eid-al-Fitr.
While both Tehran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, the Israeli government has not commented on the matter, adhering to its usual policy of silence regarding operations on Iranian soil.
Israel has been linked to several high-profile assassinations in Iran over the years, including the 2010 killing of nuclear scientist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi and the 2011 killing of Majid Shahriari, both by remote-controlled explosives.
