Hamas Leader Killed in Tehran that Risk Triggering all-out Regional War 

There are new fears war in the Middle East could spread after Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed early Wednesday morning in Tehran by an airstrike, which Iran and the militant group have attributed to Israel. The strike occurred just hours after Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president and followed a similar Israeli operation targeting a Hezbollah commander in Beirut.

In a statement on his official website, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed revenge. This has heightened the risk of direct confrontation between Iran and Israel. Khamenei said revenge was “our duty” and that Israel had “prepared a harsh punishment for itself” by killing “a dear guest in our home,” reported the Associated Press.

The U.S. and other international actors are scrambling to avert further escalation, as the killing threatens to unravel ongoing cease-fire negotiations and exacerbate existing tensions in the region. The potential for a broader conflict looms large, with significant implications for regional stability.