Khamenei Demands Revenge for Haniyeh's Death

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has declared a commitment to "take revenge" for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on Wednesday. Khamenei praised Haniyeh as a martyr who dedicated his life to the struggle for his people, emphasizing that the attack represents a significant loss for the Islamic Republic. In response to the incident, Iran's government has announced three days of mourning, although details surrounding Haniyeh's assassination remain unclear and are currently under investigation. The assassination has prompted heightened security measures in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convening a meeting with defense officials to assess the situation. While Israel has not publicly commented on the incident, it is widely believed that the Mossad intelligence agency is behind the attack. In light of the assassination, Israel is also increasing security for Jewish institutions globally, reflecting concerns over potential retaliatory actions. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has stated that the U.S. will work to ease tensions in the region but will support Israel if it faces any threats. Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the assassination as a "grave escalation" aimed at undermining the resilience of Hamas and the Palestinian people. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting over 39,000 Palestinian deaths and more than 90,000 injuries, though these figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.