Iran orders 'direct attack' on Israel day after killing Hamas chief Ismail Hanih: report

Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killing. Israel, which is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither admitted nor denied killing Hanih.

Tehran: A day after Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran to attack Israel directly, the New York Times reported, citing three Iranian officials. Khamenei issued the order at an emergency meeting of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, shortly after Iran announced that Hanih had been killed.

Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killing. Israel, which is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither admitted nor denied killing Hanieh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president.

Notably, Israel has a long history of killing enemies abroad, including Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders, according to the NYT.

In the nearly 10-month war in Gaza, Iran has sought to strike a balance, avoiding an all-out war between the two nations while Iran pressures Israel with rapidly escalating attacks by its allies and proxy forces.

In the biggest and most obvious attack on Israel, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones in April in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

“It is now unclear how forcefully Iran will respond and whether it will once again calibrate its offensive to avoid escalation. Iranian military commanders are considering a second concerted drone and missile attack on military targets in the Tel Aviv and Haifa areas, but will make it a point to avoid attacks on civilian targets,” Iranian officials said.

One option under consideration is a coordinated attack by Iran and other fronts, where allied forces include Yemen, Syria and Iraq for maximum impact, he said.

Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state and is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, directed military commanders in the Revolutionary Guards and the army to prepare plans for both attack and defense should the war expand and in the case of Israel. Or the US attacked Iran, officials said.

In his public statement about Haniyeh's death, Khamenei indicated that Iran would take direct revenge, saying, “We see it as our duty to avenge his blood,” because it happened within the borders of the Islamic Republic. He said the stage was set for Israel to receive a “severe punishment,” the New York Times reported.

The newly elected president, Massoud Pezheshkian, other Iranian officials, including the foreign ministry, guards and Iran's mission to the United Nations, also openly stated that Iran would retaliate against Israel and that it had the right to defend itself against violations of its sovereignty. .