The Neshat compound after the assassination. Via X.
Iranian media has rejected a report by The New York Times claiming that Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian Hamas Movement, was killed by an explosive device hidden in his room two months before the hit.
The newspaper, citing five Middle Eastern officials, reported on August 1 that the explosive device was hidden in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-run guesthouse in the Neshat compound in the northern outskirts of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
It detailed that the device was detained remotely around 2:00 am local time on July 31. The blast shook the building, shattered windows and partially collapsed an exterior wall.
The meticulous planning behind the attack was such that, despite the proximity of Ziyad al-Nakhalah, leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who was staying next door, his room sustained minimal damage, as claimed by two Iranian officials, according to the newspaper.
It is not clear who are the Middle Eastern officials cited by The New York Times, and if they are from countries friendly with Iran.
The newspaper claims were denied by the Fars News Agency, which said that Haniyeh’s room in the Neshat compound was targeted with “an air-launched guided projectile.”
“These lies are being propagated while the results of the experts’ investigation indicate that Haniyeh was struck by a projectile, in which involvement of the Zionist regime cannot be ruled out,” the news agency said in a report, hinting at The New York Times.
Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. Hamas said that he was killed and one of his bodyguards, without providing any details. Israel didn’t claim responsibility on the official level.
To date, Iranian officials have not commented on the specific circumstances surrounding the assassination of the Palestinian leader.
Iran vowed to respond to the assassination with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly ordering a direct strike against Israel.
The serious reaction from Tehran may have pushed Israel and allies to manipulate the story of how Haniyeh was killed. A planted explosive device can be considered more of an act of sabotage, while a strike can be seen as a direct attack on Iranian territory.
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