Iran claims US greenlighted Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
Hamas leader Haniyeh was killed in Iran
Iran on Friday (Aug 2) claimed the United States knew and greenlighted Israel's supposed killing ofHamas leaderIsmail Haniyeh. The claim was made by Iran's Intelligence MinisterIsmail Khatib during an event organised to honourHaniyeh's death.
“Martyr Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination took place at the hands of the usurping Zionists with the United States’ greenlight,” the minister was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.
At the time of his death,Haniyeh was visiting Tehranto attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“The assassination once again put the Zionist regime’s bestial nature on display,” Khatib added.
Meanwhile,the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, issued a stern warning to the Jewish nation on Friday, saying, "enemies of the nation, especially the Zionist gang and its supporters,” should expect revenge from the resistance.
Earlier in the day,Haniyeh's dead body was buried in Qatar, two days after his killing. Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral in Doha, waving Palestinian flags and raising chants.
Hamas and Iran have both accused Israel of carrying out the assassination and have pledged to retaliate against their foe. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the death nor denied it.
Biden tough on Israel
Meanwhile, reports have emerged claiming US President Joe Biden has demanded Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu must stop escalating tensions in the region and work towards a peace deal in Gaza.
As per a report in Axios, Biden is frustrated with Israel's actions in Lebanon and Iran over the past week and is seeking instant de-escalation.
Watch:West Asia Crisis: Iran and its proxies plan retaliation attack against Israel
The Bidenadministration is also reportedly furious because Netanyahu kept the US presidentin the dark about the two major killings in Beirut and Tehran.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.