Explosive devices planted in guesthouse rooms
Israel’s premier intelligence agency, Mossad, reportedly hired Iranian security agents to plant bombs in three rooms of a guesthouse where Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was staying, according to a report by The Telegraph.
“They are now certain that Mossad hired agents from the Ansar al-Mahdi protection unit. Upon further investigation, they discovered additional explosive devices in two other rooms,” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official was quoted as saying.
Assassination plan was delayed due to large crowds
The report added that the original plan to assassinate Haniyeh was set for May, during the funeral of Iran’s former president, Ebrahim Raisi. However, the operation was called off due to the large crowds, which increased the risk of failure.
Later, two agents placed explosive devices in the IRGC guesthouse in north Tehran, where Haniyeh was staying. CCTV footage reportedly showed the agents entering and exiting multiple rooms within minutes.
Agents escape, bomb detonated remotely
The agents then fled Iran but maintained a source in Tehran. After confirming Haniyeh’s presence in one of the rooms, the bomb was detonated remotely from abroad. The incident has caused internal rifts within the IRGC, with various factions blaming each other for the failure.
International implications and reactions
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the presidential inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian, recently endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Both Iranian officials and Hamas have accused Israel of the assassination. Hamas declared that its leader was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran.”
As of now, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied these claims. However, U.S. media reported that Tel Aviv had briefed the United States and other Western governments on the operation shortly after it occurred.
Iran has vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death, setting the stage for a potential confrontation with Israel, as Hamas and Hezbollah may also seek retribution. In response, the White House has deployed warships and fighter jets to the region to protect Israel, emphasizing its “ironclad” support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.