Hamas
Iran announced that Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran by a “short-range projectile” launched from outside his residence. The Revolutionary Guards blamed Israel for the attack and also accused the United States of supporting Israel. Haniyeh, who was in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian, was killed on July 31. Haniyeh, 62, led Hamas’s political bureau, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, and lived in Qatar.
This incident follows the killing of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on July 30. These events have escalated regional tensions amid the Gaza war, which involves Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. The Revolutionary Guards have vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s death and promised that Israel will face “severe punishment” at a suitable time and place.
In response, the United States announced the deployment of additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East, citing threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah. The Pentagon stated that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of Navy cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and Europe to enhance U.S. force protection, support Israel’s defense, and prepare for various contingencies.
