A red banner, symbolic in Iran of vengeance after a major assassination, was raised at the Jamkaran Mosque in the City of Qom just a day after the 31 July assassination in Tehran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Mr Haniyeh had been in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian and also met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel, in keeping with its normal silence on such incidents, has not claimed the attack. But there is no doubt who was behind it. Israel has previous form for carrying out bold assassinations of prominent figures linked to Iran, although this marks the first assassination of such a leading political figure on Iranian soil. Mr Haniyeh was at a state guest house adjacent to the Saadabad Palace which is used for government ceremonies and for which the IRGC provides security. The New York Times reports that the bomb had been placed up to two months previously. (CONTINUED - 1222 WORDS)
