Khamenei orders attack on Israel, Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran

Iran is expected to directly attack Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday morning, according to a New York Times report citing three sources.

The directive was issued at an emergency meeting of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the report added.

Iran’s Supreme leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei had earlier in the day spoken of retribution in a post on X.

“Following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge,” he wrote.

Iran had already directly attacked Israel in April.  Ninety-nine percent of its 300 drones and missiles were shot out of the sky by a coalition of five armies belonging to the US, Israel, Jordan, and the United Kingdom.

A man hangs a picture of assassinated Hamas leader Haniyeh at Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, July 31, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)

Haniyeh killed in Tehran

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had earlier in the day said, “If Israel is attacked, we certainly will help defend Israel.”

US National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said, “We have and will maintain a level of readiness to preserve our national security interest in the region. 

“It's not like we take a blind eye to what Iran is capable of doing and has shown they’re capability of doing in the region. 

“It's not like we've demonstrated an unwillingness to defend Israel from threats in the region, including from Iran if that happens,” Kirby said. 

“We maintain that capability and that readiness to do so now,” he added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had on Wednesday night warned that there could be challenging days ahead and that Israel was prepared for any scenario as he spoke of Israel’s existential battle against Tehran.

Earlier in the day he held a security cabinet meeting and security consultations.

The US raised on Wednesday its travel warning to Lebanon to level four, according to the US State Department's website. 

"Do not travel to Lebanon due to rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. If you are in Lebanon, be prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate. The US Embassy strongly encourages US citizens who are already in Southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria, and/or in refugee settlements to depart," the department's statement read. 

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen said on Wednesday, "We will be part of the Iranian response to the elimination of Haniyeh."

The comment follows Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's elimination in Tehran early Wednesday. 

The US is set to sanction two people, as well as four entities, in connection to arms trading with the Houthis, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday.

"Houthi-affiliated shipping firms have enabled the group to transfer military-grade components from People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based suppliers to Yemen," Miller stated. "Houthi attacks continue to disrupt the flow of international trade and freedom of navigation.

"The United States will not hesitate to use all the tools at our disposal to deny the Houthis the ability to carry out such attacks."

United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and British Airways were set to halt their flights to Israel starting on Thursday, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. 

Israel Air Force chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar spoke of the air force's capabilities on Wednesday. 

"The Air Force defends and attacks in all arenas of war, enveloping the State of Israel with dozens of aircraft."

He added that the air force was "prepared and ready in a matter of minutes, for any scenario, in any arena. We will act against anyone who plans to harm the citizens of the State of Israel; there is no point that is too far for us to attack."

The missile that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh struck him "directly," Hamas deputy chief in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya said on Wednesday, citing witnesses who had been with Haniyeh in Iran.

As a result of the missile strike, windows, doors, and walls in his room were destroyed, Al-Hayya told a press conference in Tehran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined Israel’s successful hits against three Iranian proxy groups, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as he warned Wednesday night that Israelis that there would be challenging times ahead.

“From the start of the war, I have clarified that we are in a battle against Iran’s axis of evil,” Netanyahu said.

“It's an existential battle against a choking ring of terror and missiles that Iran is attempting to wring around our necks,” he said.

Khaled Mashaal was tapped to be the new Hamas leader on Wednesday, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran early Wednesday morning. 

Hamas sources said Mashaal is expected to be chosen as the paramount leader of the terror group to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was eliminated in Iran in the early hours of Wednesday.

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, who is based in Qatar and has headed Hamas negotiators in indirect hostage deal talks with Israel, has also been a possibility for the leadership as he is a favorite of Iran and its allies in the region.

“Our first known operation was the pizzerias,” said Lt. Col. D., commander of the Countermeasure branch at the IDF’s Central Command.

The new unit was established following October 7 as a unique array combining intelligence collection and legal experts to fight Hamas's influence in the West Bank.

The pizzerias D. was referring to are several venues in the West Banks that exploited photos of elderly hostages being taken captive to promote their sales. They were quickly sealed off, and the owners were prosecuted for incitement. “We have seen that the more you identify and act quickly in the face of a difficult phenomenon, the more you can make a change in the field,” he explained.