Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly, in retaliation for the killing in Tehran of Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, according to three Iranian officials briefed on the order.
Mr. Khamenei gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after Iran announced that Mr. Haniyeh had been killed, said the three Iranian officials, including two members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the assassination; Israel, which is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither acknowledged nor denied killing Mr. Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president.
Israel has a long history of killing enemies abroad, including Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders.
But even that show of force was telegraphed well in advance, nearly all the weapons were shot down by Israel and its allies, and little damage was done.
Persons:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, Khamenei, Haniyeh, Israel
Organizations:
Iran’s, National Security, Revolutionary Guards, Hamas
Locations:
Iran, Israel, Tehran, Gaza, Damascus, Syria