Funeral Coverage Echoes Through Tehran as Iranian Leader Murders Stir Regional Repercussions
Mourners in Iran and supporters of the Islamic Republic gathered in large numbers this Thursday for the funeral of Ismail Haniya, the political bureau chief of Hamas, who was killed in a dawn airstrike in Tehran attributed to Israel.
Haniya was in the capital to attend the swearing-in of the new Iranian president, Masud Pezeshkian, with whom he had met on Tuesday afternoon. The funeral ceremonies on Thursday were presided over by Pezeshkian and by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Haniya is set to be buried in Qatar on Friday.
“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime has paved the way for a harsh punishment against itself with its acts. We bear the responsibility to avenge Haniya’s blood, who was killed on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Khamenei said Thursday, announcing three days of national mourning for the Palestinian leader.
In the public display, chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to the United States” echoed as televised speeches from Palestinian militants in Gaza were broadcast during the funeral.
“Death to Israel”
According to reports from the New York Times on Wednesday, Khamenei reportedly ordered a direct attack against Israeli territory in retaliation for the strike. Israel has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for Haniya’s death, though with limited doubt it is believed to be behind the attack.
Alongside the chants, the funeral featured remarks from Hamas officials in Gaza who spoke to the crowd and offered condolences. One such speaker, Jalil Al Hayya, a senior Hamas official in Gaza, said, “Rest in peace, Abu Al Abed Ismail Haniya. Our nation, Iran, the Axis of Resistance, your people, your fighters… are united in resistance to end the Zionist occupation.”
Vengeance and Resistance
Over decades, Iran has sought to expand a regional shield of allied militias across the Middle East to act as Teheran’s spear against Tel Aviv. This network, known as the Axis of Resistance, includes Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hizballah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilization Units in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Experts suggest that Iran’s response, framed as vengeance for Haniya’s death, will likely involve several of these groups. A Hamas statement described the killing in Tehran as a turning point that could widen the conflict and have consequences across the region.
On Tuesday, Israel conducted strikes on Beirut, killing Hizballah’s deputy leader Fuad Shokur. On Thursday, Israel added more fuel to the fire by announcing that Mohammed Deif, the Hamas’ head of military operations, was killed in a July airstrike in southern Gaza.
The region watches closely as a chain reaction could unfold, with regional powers and militant factions weighing how to respond to what many see as a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict between Israel and its regional adversaries.