Former official: Iran’s response to Israel to be multifaceted

A former Iranian official has indicated that Iran's response to the Israeli assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will be both complex and decisive.

Hossein Jaberi Ansari described the assassination as a covert, multi-layered operation rather than a straightforward act of war, characterizing it as a "terror operation" typical of Israeli tactics, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

The timing and nature of Tehran's retaliation will be guided by strategic considerations and the current situation, Ansari noted. According to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in a targeted attack on their residence in Tehran on July 31. The IRGC condemned the assassination as an act orchestrated by the Israeli regime and supported by the "criminal government of America."

In response to the Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, senior Iranian officials have pledged to deliver a strong and fitting retaliation. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, declared that the assassination has set the stage for severe consequences for the Israeli regime.

Earlier in August, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the political adviser to Khamenei, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Iran is preparing to impose significant punishment on Israel. Shamkhani criticized the Israeli regime, accusing it of seeking to provoke conflict and undermine ceasefire negotiations through its actions, including the targeting of worshippers at Al-Tabin school in Gaza and the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.

He emphasized that Iran's response will be severe and that preparations have been made after thorough legal, diplomatic, and media deliberations.