Iran cites Israel's confession to assassination as justification for October 1 attack

Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): Iran's envoy to the United Nations (UN) has said that Israel's "clear confession" to assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil justifies Tehran's military response against Israel on October 1. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's Permanent Representative to the UN, made the remarks in a letter addressed to the UN Security Council while reacting to the confession on Monday by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, in which he admitted for the first time that Israel had assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran, Xinhua news agency cited a report from Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Haniyeh was killed on July 31 along with his bodyguard when their residence in Tehran was attacked. Both Hamas and Iran accused Israel of carrying out the assassination.

On October 1, Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, describing the attack as a retaliation for the assassinations of key resistance figures, including Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and senior Iranian commander Abbas Nilforoushan.

Speaking at a recent Defence Ministry event, Katz had also issued a warning to Houthi forces in Yemen after their drone attacks, which have been intercepted by Israeli air defence systems.

"We will strike the Houthis hard, target their strategic infrastructure, and decapitate their leaders -- just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon," Katz had said.

Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed when their residence was struck in Tehran, according to a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet, Sepah News. The statement mentioned that the attack was under investigation, and the results would be announced later.

In a report published on July 31, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency stated that Haniyeh was assassinated around 2 am on July 31 local time after his residence in Tehran was hit by a 'projectile.' The Islamic Hamas movement had confirmed the death of its leader, stating that Haniyeh was assassinated in an Israeli attack in Iran.

In a press statement, Hamas had expressed its grief, saying that it "mourns to the Palestinian people, the Arab and Islamic nation, and the free people of the world" following the death of Haniyeh, who had been in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 30. Haniyeh was also expected to discuss with the Iranian president the political and field developments related to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military has previously claimed responsibility for killing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in southern Gaza and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh.